Mastering Pac-Man Revised

SIGNET.451-AE1899'$2.50

MEWLY EXPANDED TO INCLUDE:
ATARI"' PAC-MAN 'MS. PAC-/v\AN'« LATEST CHIP PATTERNS

MASTERING

Brain teasers from SIGNET

□ SCORE! BEATING THE TOP 16 VrOEO GAMES by Ken Uston.

(#AEiai3— $2.50)

□ MASTERING PAC-MANa^" by Ken Uston. (#AJ1758— $1.95)

□ THE OFFtCtAL MASTERMIND PUZZLE BOOK by Leslie Ault

{#W7921-$1.50)

□ SIGNET CROSSWORD PUZZLE BOOK #1 edited by Charles
Preston. (#W9079~$1.50)

□ SIGNET CROSSWORD PUZZLE BOOK #2 edited by Charles
Preston. {#W9174— $1.50)

n SIGNET CROSSWORD PUZZLE BOOK #3 edited by Charles
Preston. (#E9985— $1.75)*

□ THE OFFICIAL TV TRIVIA QUIZ BOOK #2 by Bart Andrews.

(#W8410~$1.50)

□ THE NOSTALGIA QUIZ BOOK by Martin A. Gross.

(#AE1035-$2.50)*

□ THE NOSTALGIA QUIZ BOOK #3 by Martin A. Gross.

(#W8412-$1.50)

□ THE OFFICIAL ROCK 'N' ROLL TRIVIA QUIZ BOOK #2 by
Marc Sotkin. (#E8299— $1.75)*

□ TREKKIE QUIZ BOOK by Bart Andrews. (#AJ1656— $1.95)

□ THE SUPER SIXTIES QUIZ BOOK by Bart Andrews.

(#E8829~$1.75)*

□ FROM THE BLOB TO STAR WARS by Bart Andrews.

{#W7948-$1.50)

*Price slightly higher in Canada

Buy them at yaur local bookstore or use Hiis convenioirt coupon.lor ofdering.

THE NEW AMERICAN LIBRARY, INC.,

P.O. Box 999, Beti^nrield, New Jersey 07B21

Please send me ttie books I have checked aboye. i am enclosing $

(please add $1.00 to this order to cover postage and handling). Send check
Of money order— no cash or C.O.D.'s. Prices and numbers are subject to change ,
without notice. j

Name

Add res5 ,

City

State Zip Code

Allow 4-6 weeks for delivery.
This offer is subject to withdrawal without notice.

MASTERING

PACNAN

BY

KEN USTON

Revised Edition

A SIGNET BOOK
IMEW AMERICAN UBRARY

To Roe Foy—
thanks for your patience and
your help in whiting out P AC -MAN ^ dots
and, of course,
to Erroll Garner

NAL BOOKS ARE AVAILABLE AT QUANTITY DiSCOUNTS
WHEN USED TO PROMOTE PRODUCTS OR SERVICES. FOR
INFORMATION PLEASE WRITE TO PREMIUM MARKETING DIVISION,
THE NEW AMERICAN LIBRARY, INC.. 1633 BROADWAY,
NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10019.

Copyright © 1981, 1982, by Ken Uaton

All rights reserved

SPACE INVADERS® is a trademark of the Taito America Corp
ASTEROIDS® is a trademark of Atari, Inc.
MAZEMAN® is a trademark of UCI Co.
New PUC-ONE® is a trademark of Universal Co.
MS. PAC-MAN® is a trademark of the Midway
Manufacturing Company.

®

SIGNET TRADEMARK REG, U.S. PAT. OFF. AND FOREIGN COUNTRIES
REGISTERED TRADEMARK— MARCA BEGlSTRAi)A
HECHO EN CHICAGO, U.S.A.

SIGNET, SIGNET CLASSICS, MENTOR, PLUME, MERIDIAN, and
NAL BOOKS are published by The New American Library, Inc.,
1633 Broadway, New York, New York 10019

First Printing, January, 1982
9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

PAC-MAN® is a trademark of the Mid-
way Manufacturing Company. This book
has been neither authorized nor endorsed
by the Midway Manufacturing Company.

■I

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank Sam from Price Waterhouae, who
introduced me to an original and highly effective PAC-
MAN pattern in Atlantic City. Thanks also to Dominic
Infante and George Harrington of the Atlantic City
Playboy Casino, with whom I've spent countless hours
experimenting with the game.

Finally, my thanks to young Tommy, the helpful,
friendly, skillful, and unselfish San Francisco school-
boy — "How'd you get so smart so young?"

CONTENTS

1: Introduction 9

2; How PAC-MAN® Works 13

3: Board Layout and Characteristics of 18
Successive Boards

4: Steps in Learning PAC-MAN® 26

5: Notes on Pattern Play and Pattern Pi 31

6: Pattern P2 41

7: Pattern P3 50

8: Pattern PK 57

9: Pattern P4 C^The Square") 65

10: Pattern P4-Tunnel 73

11: Pattern P5 ("The 9-Key Pattern") 80

12: New PUC-ONE ® MAZEMAN ® and 89
MS. PAC-MAN®

New PUC-ONE 89

MAZEMAN 96

MS. PAC-MAN 99

13: Portable PAC-MAN® 107

Tomytronics 107

Entex 107

Coleco 107

14: Improvising at PAC-MAN® and 120
General Tips

15: Developing Patterns for Changing Chips 126

16: PAC-MAN® (Atari®) 137

Figures

1: PAC-MAN® Board Layout 19

2; Symbols of Each Board and 22
Maximum and Reasonable Scores

3: Slow- and Fast-Game Equivalents, Blue- 23
Monster Time, and Applicable Patterns

Pattern PI 36

Pattern P2 42

Pattern P3 51

Pattern PK 59

Pattern P4 ("The Square") 67

Pattern P4-Tunnel ' 74

Pattern P5 81

4: New PUC-ONE® Board 91

5: New PUC-ONE® Schematics 93:

6: MAZEMAN® Board 98
7: MS. PAC-MAN®

Controls 100

Pink Board 104

Blue Board 105

Orange Board 106

8: Coleco Portable PAC-MAN® 110
—Skill 1 Pattern

9: Coleco Portable PAC-MAN® 114
—Skill 2 Pattern

10: Eat & Run® PAC-MAN® 119
— Points Awarded After
Energizers Are Eaten

11: PAC-MAN® Layout— Improvising Points 122

12: The Two-Dot Pattern for the 133
Atlantic City Chip

13: PAC-MAN® (Atari®) Board 139

Game #1 Patterns (Exhibit 1) 148

Game Variations (Exhibit 2) 154

Game Variations (Exhibit 3) 156

1

INTRODUCTION

When the player puts his first quarter in a PAC-MAN®
machine, he usually doesn't know what to expect. A
cute little electronic tune is played and the first PAC-
MAN board soon appears. Four colored "monsters"
start chasing the player, who is PAC-MAN, a little
yellow fellow who looks like he has a smile on his face.

The player grabs the red control knob (or 'joystick")
in front of him, frantically moving PAC-MAN to the
right, left, up, and down. PAC-MAN starts "eating"
some of the many white dots on the board, while mak-
ing a fiinny gobbling noise. The ever-present monsters
soon catch up with and "eat" PAC-MAN, who slowly
folds his wings and disappears as the machine uttera
a little whine in sympathy. Then another PAC-MAN
appears and the process repeats itself two more times
(three more times if a certain score is reached).

When the player is through, he has probably amassed
a score of 600, or perhaps 1,500 if he was lucky. The
game has lasted perhaps one minute, and the player's
quarter is expended.

Yet chances are the player will put another quarter,
and another, into the machine. He will also note that
his ability to maneuver PAC-MAN gradually improves
and his score mounts. If he's playing with another
player, the player with the quicker ability to under-
stand the nature of the game, and with better manual
dexterity, will tend to get the higher score.

The player's scores may increase, to perhaps 5,000
or 80. He will note the "High Score" posted at the top

9

of the screen and wonder how on earth any mortal could
have scored 56,800, or 106,500, or even 249,300.

After you finish this book (and invest a few quarters
in a PAC-MAN machine) you, too, should be able to
achieve these kinds of scores. It's surprisingly easy if
a methodical approach is taken. Indeed, the character-
istic that attracted me to PAC-MAN is that a prede-
termined plan is far more important for a high score
than is a high degree of physical coordination.

I've spent many dozens of hours in front of a PAC-
MAN machine and played well over 1,500 games. At
first I played merely because I enjoyed the game. After
a while, however, I became hooked when it became
evident that the secret to the game was to develop pre-
determined "patterns" of movement through the PAC-
MAN schematic. I drew up PAC-MAN diagrams and
spent weeks experimenting to discover new and effi-
cient patterns.

After about a month of play, I discovered three pat-
terns that allowed me to score as much as 182,000. But
it was not until several weeks later in San Francisco
that I encountered by chance a sixteen-year-old high
school junior, Tommy L., who had been experimenting
with a variety of advanced PAC-MAN patterns. One
pattern in particular, which Tommy calls the "9-Key"
(we refer to it herein as Pattern P5), fascinated me,
because it allowed the player to move quantum leaps
ahead of our earlier knowledge. This very pattern had
brought Tommy to his high game of 932,000. Tommy
later introduced me to a friend of his, Raymond, who
had achieved a score of 1,400,000 on his first "man"
before voluntarily quitting in midgame. Raymond, too,
spent considerable time with me, introducing me to yet
more intricacies of PAC-MAN.

I worked with Tommy and Raymond and spent many ,
hours refining my own skills. I diagrammed and tested J
all the patterns and gleaned those that, with a mini- ^-
mum of effort, would permit the novice to develop into \

i

what we call a "PAC-Master," a player who can con-
sistently score 150,000 or higher. I tested all the pat-
terns on many machines to ensure they were univer-
sally applicable (there are currently two different
machine velocities, preset by the technicians on the
Standard PAC-MAN model, which I will refer to as the
"Slow Game" and the "Fast Game").

I recorded my reactions in learning the patterns,
little clues I developed to help in learning the patterns
and in overcoming the frustrations of making errors,
so that I could pass this knowledge along to others.

The results of this research are included in this book.
I have attempted to put together an easy-to-understand
guide to learning PAC-MAN, starting with the simple
beginning patterns and progressing to advanced ones —
all diagrammed in detail on PAC-MAN schematics.

Chapters 2 through 11 all refer to the PAC-MAN
model and are equally applicable to either the Slow or
the Fast Game. A PAC-MAN type game called New
PUC-ONE, has recently been introduced. This model
is currently quite rare and is unlikely, I believe, to be
encountered by most PAC-MAN players. Since the New
PUC-ONE model has a different board and requires
different movements, however, I have included a chap-
ter, Chapter 12, on this model and also on another PAC-
MAN type game called MAZEMAN®.

Chapter 13 describes various portable PAC-MAN
models and contains strategies for playing the partic-
ularly well-designed and fiin-to-play Coleco model.
Chapter 14 on improvising and general tips refers to
all models. Because of the recent introduction of a new
"computer chip" in some New Jersey machines, I have
included in Chapter 15 patterns for handling this chip
and a section on how the player may develop new pat-
terns should other chips be introduced.

The dedicated reader should be able to achieve a
score of about 7,000 after only a few games. After study-
ing Chapter 8 and putting in perhaps ten hours of play,

11

the reader should be able to rack up scores of over
100,000, putting him in a (currently) select group of
PAC-MAN experts. After studying Chapters 9, 10, and
11, scores of 200,000 and higher will be possible with
more practice. Since this book covers every conceivable
situation that will be encountered in PAC-MAN, the
sky is literally the limit for the player!

12

2

HOW PAC-MAN®
WORKS

PAC-MAN comes in two models — a console and a table
model. The machines work identically. The machine
has a screen which alternates with two views: one of
the four monsters and their names and nicknames; an-
other with a sample pattern. The control knob or joy-
stick (two knobs on the table model) is located in front
of the screen. There is also, of course, a slot where the
player may insert his quarter to begin the game. The
player then pushes a button to start; he has a choice
of two buttons, one for a single-player game, the other
for a two-player game in which the players rotate turns.

The player is represented by PAC-MAN, a friendly
looking yellow circle with a small wedge missing,
which roughly resembles a fish jaw. The player maneu-
vers PAC-MAN using the joystick, which can
move PAC-MAN in four directions: right,
left, up, or down. PAC-MAN's jaw faces in
the direction he is moving.

The four monsters, each in a different color and each
with different movement characteristics, move around
the board. Each monster wears a little robe and has
two large eyes, which look in the direction the monster
is moving. The eyes actually tip off the player about
the direction in which the monster will turn, but this
interval is so short that it can rarely be exploited. The
movement of the monsters is dependent upon (1) the
pre-programming of the machine and (2) the movement
and location of PAC-MAN. The player may thus move

13

PAC-MAN in ways which cause monster movements
that can benefit him, as we will explain later.

THE MONSTERS

Color

Name

Nickname

Red

Shadow

Blinky

Pink

Speedy

Pinky

Blue

Bashful

Inky

Orange

Pokey

Clyde

When any of the monsters "eats" PAC-MAN, PAC-
MAN wilts with drooping wings, and an accompanying
sympathetic audible whine, and disappears from the
board. The player has lost. He is usually given three
PAC-MEN (henceforth referred to as "men") before the
game is finished; in some g£imes only two men are al-
lowed. If the player reaches a score of 10,000 (15,000
and other scores on some machines), he is awarded an
additional man. The player never gets more than four
men, no matter how high his score.

The player scores points in several ways:

1. The board is covered with 240 little white dots.
Each time PAC-MAN encounters ("eats'*) a dot, the
player gets 10 points, and the dot disappears off the
board. Thus one objective is to eat as many little dots
aa possible.

2. The board also has four larger blinking whi£e
dots, one in each comer of the board. These dots are
called "energizers." The player is awarded 50 points
each time he eats an energizer. The energizers help the
player, because when PAC-MAN eats any of the en-
ergizers, the monsters all turn dark blue in color (in
the earlier phases of the game) and are then subject to
being eaten by PAC-MAN. When in their blue state,

i

the monsters cannot eat PAC-MAN, and the player is
safe.

The player gets more points for each consecutive
monster he eats after a single energizer is hit. The first
blue monster eaten adds 200 points to his score; the
second blue monster adds 400 points; the third blue
monster, 800 points; and the final, fourth blue monster,
1,600 points. Thus if all four blue monsters are eaten
after one energizer has been hit, the player will add
3,000 points to his score (200 + 400 + 800 + 1,600).
Alas, it is not often that the player will be able to eat
all four blue monsters after hitting an energizer. One
key reason for this is that the blue monsters take eva-
sive action, deviously turning comers as they run away
from PAC-MAN; some of these moves are predictable,
however. After a while, the monsters return to their
original colors and become aggressive once again.

Unfortunately for the player, the blue monsters,
once eaten, do not disappear forever. The "body" of the
monster disappears, but its "soul," in the form of the
pair of monster eyes, returns to the center box for "rein-
carnation" after a short waiting period. The recreated
monster leaves the center box and resumes his trip
around the board.

When PAC-MAN has eaten all the dots on the board
and has hit all four energizers, another board appears,
complete with new dots and energizers. The process
then begins anew. As we will see, the boards have some-
what different characteristics.

After two boards, the player is given a small inter-
mission. A little tune is played as a monster chases
PAC-MAN across the screen from right to left. Then
a giant PAC-MAN chases the monster across the screen
in the opposite direction. After a few more boards, an-
other intermission scene is shown. The monster, as he
chases PAC-MAN across the board, rips his robe, and
appears to be embarrassed as he leaves a bit of leg
showing. In a subsequent intermission scene (the final

15

one, which is repeated) the monster actually gets his
robe taken off and flees PAC-MAN, naked, carrying
his robe behind him. Yes, those programmers do have
a sense of humor,

3. Each progressive board, rather than having a
number or a name, is identified by a symbol, in most
cases a type of fruit. PAC-MAN players refer to the
symbol as the "fruit," even though at times it is some-
thing else. From now on, we, too, will refer to the sym-
bol in this way. The ft^it is shown in the lower right-
hand comer of the board. Board 1, for example, is
designated by two little red cherries. As each board
appears, its fruit is shown in the lower righthand cor-
ner, to the left of the previous fruit(s).

During each board, the fruit periodically appears in
the center of the screen. The fruit stays lit for a period
of time. If the player eats the fruit when it is shown in
the center of the board, he is awarded points. The fruit
appears twice during the course of each board, and thus
may be eaten twice during each board.

The value of the eaten fruit increases as the player
gets more and more boards. During the first board, the
fruit (the two cherries) is worth 100 points to the player
when eaten. In later boards, the fruit, when eaten,
awards values of 300, 500, 700, 1,000, 2,000, 3,000—
and finally a top value of 5,000 points (when the fruit
is represented by a blue "key").

The reader can now understand how scores of
hundreds of thousands of points are possible. For each
board with a "key" fruit, the player has a potential of
getting 10,000 points (5,000 twice) for eating the key,
2,600 points for eating the dots and energizers, and
theoretically (although not practically) 12,000 points
for eating ail four blue monsters four times — after each
of the four energizers has been hit (3,000 points x 4).

Since the value of the fruit increases so dramatically,
from 100 to 5,000 points, it is evident that the key to
PAC-MAN is to amass many boards. I have often won-

16

dered if the designers of the game made the final sym-
bol a key for this reason.

Summary

To summarize, offensively the player amasses points

(1) by eating as many of the small dots as possible

(2) by eating as many of the blue monsters as pos-
sible

(3) by eating as many fruits as possible.

He tries to eat all dots and energizers in order to ad-
vance to as many new boards as possible.

Defensively, the player must avoid being eaten by
the four monsters. He does this by taking evasive action
to avoid the monsters or by hitting an energizer to
render the monsters helpless, making them subject to
being eaten by PAC-MAN.

17

3

BOARD LAYOUT AND
CHARACTERISTICS OF
SUCCESSIVE BOARDS

THE BOARD

Let's take a closer look at the PAC-MAN board
(Figure 1).

Dots. The board has 240 dots, arranged sequentially
in mazelike paths. The paths are created by the stra-
tegic location of twenty-seven dividers.

Energizers. There are four energizers, each located
in a comer of the board. We will label the energizers,
and the quadrant in which each is located, as follows:

Quadrant

Energizer

Number

Number

Quadrant 1

El

Quadrant 2

E2

Quadrant 3

E3

Quadrant 4

E4

Board Location

Upper lefthand portion
Upper righthand por-
tion

Lower lefthand portion ,
Lower righthand por-;h
tion I

Center of the Board. Note in Figure 1 that there is
center box surrounded by four channels without dol
(the "center channels"). The center box is where thif

18

"eyes" of the eaten blue monsters return, wait briefly,
and return once again to the board as aggressors,
through the exit at the top of the center box. The center
channels are quite helpful in maneuvering PAC-MAN,
either to avoid being eaten by the monsters, or to ma-
neuver the monsters into positions that are desirable.

Figure 1

PAC-MAN® BOARD LAYOUT

QUADRANT 1

QUADRANT 2

El

LEFT TUNNEL

E3

(S) CHANNELS

D

CENTER
BOX

n

LOCATION WHERE
FRUIT APPEA RS I I

•STARTING POIN

£2

RIGHT TUNNEL

E4

QUADRANT 3 QUADRANT 4 ^

Symbol designating Board

19

Tunnels. It is possible for PAC-MAN or the monsters
to enter each of two tunnels (designated as the "left
tunnel" and the "right tunnel") and return to the board
on the opposite side through the other tunnel. For ex-
ample, the player may leave the board through the left
tunnel (by pushing the control knob to the left) and
return to the board from the right side, through the
right tunnel. The monsters also go through the tunnels.
Both PAC-MAN and the monsters disappear briefly
from sight as they move from the end of one tunnel to
the beginning of the other. PAC-MAN moves through
the tunnels more quickly than the monsters, so if the
player is being pursued closely, he may often escape by
entering a tunnel (some players call this "interboard,"
but we will stick with the term tunnel).

If PAC-MAN is briefly reversed (one or more times)
when being followed into a tunnel by one or more mon-
sters — that is, turned to move in the direction of the
pursuing monster(s) — the monsters will usually slow
down, giving the player more time when emerging from
the other side of the tunnel.

The player may reverse directions once he enters a
tunnel. For example, the player may enter the left tun-
nel, reverse direction at any time, and re-emerge, en-
tering the board from the left tunnel. PAC-MAN may
eat blue monsters and the monsters may eat PAC-MAN
at any time in either tunnel or during the brief period
when the men are not visible.

"S" Channels. These are the two S-shaped channels
above the center board.

Successive Boards

When all dots and energizers are eaten, a new boar^
appears. As new boards appear, their characteristi
change in three ways:

1. The value of the fruit when eaten

20

2. The speed of PAC-MAN and the monsters

3. The characteristics of the monsters after ener-
gizers are eaten.

J. The Value of the Fruit When Eaten

The value of the eaten fruit increases for successive
boards, as shown in Figure 2.

2. The Speed of PAC-MAN and the
Monsters

The second characteristic that changes in successive
boards is the speed of the men. In earlier boards, both
PAC-MAN and the monsters move slowly. As the
boards progress, both increase in velocity. In later
boards, the PAC-MAN moves slowly while the mon-
sters move rapidly. The idea, of course, is to make the
game progressively more difficult for the player.

The differing velocities constitute one reason why
the player must learn more than a single pattern of
play. Fortunately, a different pattern is not required
for each board. In fact, the player who can memorize
only four or five patterns (and execute them perfectly)
will be able to become a PAC-Master.

Slow Games and Fast Games. The characteristics of
the first board can be pre-set by PAC-MAN machine
technicians. When first introduced, most PAC-MAN
games began at a slow velocity. We will call this the
"Slow Game." As more players became proficient and
occupied the machine for longer and longer periods of
time for their 25 cents, technicians pre-set some games
with a faster initial velocity, making the game more
difficult for the player. We will call this the "Fast
Game."

To date, I have encountered only two settings — and
I've played PAC-MAN across the country, in New York,

21

Figure 2

Symbols of Each Board
and Maximum and Reasonable Scores

Board
Number

Symbol
(Fruit)

Points to

Maximum

Symbol

Player When

Possible

Reasonable

Name

Fruit Is Eaten

Score*

Score**

Cherriea

100

14,800

8,000

Strawberry

300

30,000

15,000

1st Orange

500

45,600

20.000

(also Peach)

2d Orange

500

61,200

24.500

let Apple

700

77,200

30,000

2d Apple

700

93,200

35,000

Ist Pineapple

1,000

109.800

43,000

(also Grape)

2d Pineapple

1,000

126,400

47,500

1st Bird

2,000

145,000

54,000

(also Phoenix

& Galaxian)

2d Bird

2,000

163,600

60,500

lat Bell

3.000

184,200

70,000

(also Beehive)

2d Bell

3,000

204,800

78,500

1st Key

5,000

229,400

91,000

2d Key

5,000

254,000

103,400

3d Key

5,000

278,600

115,800

Keys

5,000

150,000 to
1,000,000 +

10

11

12
13
14
15
16 and

c6

^

a

beyond

*Unattainable since the player will never eat all four blue monatere four

times each board.
""Based on reasonably proficient play of the Fast Game.

New Jersey, California, Oregon, and points in between.
If, in the future, the game is pre-set at other velocities,
the player will be able to use the information in thi*
book to discover which patterns should be used for each;,,
board. |'
Some games allow only two men initially, with on#:
bonus man. This factor will be of little consequence t^-
the advanced PAC-MAN player. 1,

22

Figure 3

Slow-and Fast-Game Equivalents, Blue-Monster
Time, and Applicable Patterns

Equiva-

Slow-Gantc

lent to

Applicable

Board

Board

fRljiff Timo")

1 U(UC J Llltc J

Pattern

1. Cherries

X*

Wery Long

PI

2. Strawberry

1. Cherries

Very Long

P2

3. l8l Orange

X*

Very Long

P3

4. 2d Orange

2. Strawberry

Long

P3

5. let Apple

3. lat Orange

Medium

P4 PK

6, 2cl Apple

X*

Very Long

7. let Pineapple

4. 2d Orange

Medium

8. 2d Pineapple

5. Ist Apple

Short

9. 1st Bird

6. 2d Apple

Short

10. 2d Bird

7. let Pineapple

Very Long

11. let Bell

8. 2d Pineapple

Medium

12. 2d Bell

9. let Bird

Short

13. Ist Key

10. 2d Bird

Short

14. 2d Key

11. 1st Bell

Medium

15. 3d Key

12. 2d Bell

Short

«*

16. 4th Key

13. l8t Key

Short

P4 PK

17. 5th Key

14. 2d Key

NO Blue

P4-Tumiel

18. 6th Key

15. 3d Key

Short

P4

19. 7th Key

X*

NO Blue

P4-Tunnel

20. 8th Key

X*

NO Blue

P4-Tunnel

21. and beyond.

16. and beyond.

NO Blue

P5

Keys

Keya

* No equivalent on the Fast Game
'♦Without perfect timing, PK may break down.

There is a direct correlation between the velocities
and movements of the men in the Slow Game and the
Fast Game. Thus the player may use identical patterns
whether playing the Slow or the Fast Game (the one
exception to this is the unique pattern required for the
first board of the Slow Game).

The relationship between the movements of the men
in the Slow and the Fast Game is shown in Figure 3,

23

as are the appropriate PAC-MAN patterns to be used.
The blue-monster durations for each board are also in-
cluded. Note that the longer the "blue time," the more
aggressive the player should be in eating blue mon-
sters:

Blue-Monster Duration
("Blue Time")

Very Long
Long
Medium
Short

over 7 seconds
5-6 seconds
3-4 seconds
under 3 seconds

Strategy in Eating
Monsters

Aggressive
Fairly aggressive
Conservative
Do NOT chase

How to Tell the Slow Game from the Fast Game. It
is possible to distinguish the Slow Game from the Fast
Game by the sample pattern on the board before any
quarters are inserted into the machine.

Slow Game. In the sample pattern, PAC-MAN will
eat three energizers in sequence, E4, El, and E3, and
end up being eaten by the light-blue monster just above
E3.

Fast Game. PAC-MAN will eat E4, E2, and finally
El, and then be eaten by the orange monster just below
E3.

(Note: in the recently introduced "Atlantic City
Chip" described in Chapter 15, PAC-MAN eats no en-
ergizer in the sample pattern and is eaten by the light-
blue monster near E4.)

3. Characteristics of the Monsters After the
Energizers Are Eaten |

In the early stages of the game (during the earlier
boards), the monsters turn blue in color for longer du-'
rations when the energizers are eaten. As the game
progresses, the blue time tends to decrease, although

24

there are interesting lapses in this tendency. In later
boards, the monsters do not turn blue at all, making
completion of the board far more difficult for the av-
erage player.

When the monsters are about to change back from
blue to their original color, and thus once again become
aggressors, the player is usually given a warning— the
monsters "T>link," alternating between blue and white
in color. The number of warning blinks also varies with
different boards.

The advanced player should become aware of the
blue times and the blinking characteristics of various
boards. He should memorize the best strategy for each
board of the game he is playing. For example, the strat-
egy to be memorized for playing the Fast Game is—

"Be aggressive during the first board and the 1st
pineapple. Be fairly aggressive during the second
board. Be conservative during the two orange boards,
the 2d pineapple, and the 1st bell. Do not chase blue
monsters during any of the other boards."

25

4

STEPS IN LEARNING
PAC-MAN®

As in most other activities involving skill, it is neces-
sary in PAC-MAN to acquire ability in stages. I have
designed this book to be "modular," that is, it is divided
into sections requiring continuously increasing levels
of skill. Thus the reader should be able gradually to
build his PAC-MAN skill. The remaining chapters may
be categorized into instructional sections, as follows:

Beginning PAC-MAN

Patterns PI (Chapter 5) and/or P2 (Chapter 6).

The reader will learn to complete the first two boards
of the Slow Game (attaining scores of 12,000 to 17,000)
or the first board of the Fast Game (scores of 6,000 to
10,000).

Intermediate PAC-MAN

Pattern P3 (Chapter 7).

The reader will learn to complete the first four
boards of the Slow Game (scores of 20,000 to 30,000)
or the first two boards of the Fast Game (scores of
12,000 to 17,000).

26

Advanced PAC-MAN No. 1

Pattern PK (Chapter 8).

The reader will learn to complete the first fourteen
boards of the Slow Game (scores of 90,000 to 110,000)
or the first eleven boards of the Fast Game (scores of
60,000 to 80,000).

Pattern PK is readily learned. It allows a tiny num-
ber of timing errors and requires no timing-delay skills
on the part of the player. Thus it may be mastered
solely through rote memorization.

Indeed, if PK is played perfectly, it will take the
player beyond the fourteenth and eleventh boards of
the Slow and the Fast Game, respectively. However,
with only fraction-of-a-second lapses in timing, the pat-
tern may break down in the advanced boards.

I advise players interested in becoming PAC-
Masters to disregard Chapter 8 and learn patterns P4,
P4-Tunnel, and P5 in the following three chapters. I
have included this chapter on Pattern PK because PK
is so readily executed and because I believe that P4 is
somewhat more difficult to execute. PK happens to be
my favorite pattern— it neatly clears up all dot-paths
before eating any energizers and many players seem
to be able to execute this pattern without error far more
frequently than any other advanced pattern.

Players willing to settle on becoming advanced PAC-
MAN players (scores sometimes of up to 180,000 on the
Slow Game and up to 127,000 on the Fast Game) can
learn Pattern PK and join the ranks of the very best
PAC-MAN players.

Advanced PAC-MAN No. 2.

Pattern P4 (Chapter 9).

Pattern P4 is more difficult to execute than PK when

27

the energizers are cleared up at the end of the pattern.
However, mastery of P4 is necessary if the player wants
to go on to become a PAC-Master. Executed correctly,
P4 will take the player through the eighteenth board
of the Slow Game (the 6th Key), except that it will not
handle the seventeenth board (the 5th Key). P4 will
take the player through the fifteenth board of the Fast
Game (the 3d Key), but will not handle the fourteenth
board (the 2d Key).

PAC-Master Play

Patterns P4-Tunnel (Chapter 10) and P5 (Chapter
11).

Mastery of Pattern P4-Tunnel will enable the player
to complete the first twenty boards of the Slow Game
(through the 8th Key) and the first fifteen boards of
the Fast Game (through the 3d Key). Those of average
agility should be able to master P4-Tunnel after per-
haps five to six hours of practice. The reader should
persist; remember that there's only one more pattern
to master on the road to becoming a PAC-Master!!

After mastery of Pattern P5, the player will be able
to complete all the advanced boards. P5 is somewhat
difficult to learn because it requires timing-delay skills.
Theoretically the player will be able to play a PAC-
MAN game indefinitely. The reader will be in the ranks
of the top players nationally (as of this writing) and be
able to rack up scores of hundreds of thousands of
points.

Improvising at PAC-MAN and
General Tips

Chapter 14 includes numerous tips that will help th^
player attain higher scores. -
How to play without a pattern. Improvisational ski^:

28 4

is essential for handling situations when the player
will mistakenly deviate from a pattern — and all play-
ers, no matter how skilled, do. This skill will allow the
player to complete such "blown" boards so he may re-
vert to the use of the correct pattern on subsequent
boards.

How to "hustle." Improvising is a skill essential to
'Tiustling" a PAC-MAN game— that is, attempting to
induce others to bet on PAC-MAN games without re-
vealing one's basic skill and knowledge of patterns.
While it seems that most arcade betting is in the $1 to
$5 range, games have been played for $50 and $100 in
certain Las Vegas bars.

The chapter also offers general tips on how to play '
well — and as a last resort, I've included a list of com-
monly used alibis in case you blow a game.

Humans versus Computers

. In PAC-MAN, remember you are playing an elec-
tronic opponent. Computers "think" in thousandths of
a second, and even faster — millionths and billionths
of a second.

There will be times you think you've played the pat-
tern exactly — with no delays — and yet the monsters
move differently than expected. This is because you can
never distinguish a millisecond delay (thousandth of
a second) in your pattern — but the computers can and
do.

One way to minimize human delay in PAC-MAN is
to turn the control knob in the desired direction before
PAC-MAN enters the intersection at which the turn
is to be made. Thus he will turn "immediately" in ac-
cordance with the delay time of the PAC-MAN elec-
tronics, and there will be no human-delay time. Ob-
viously, if you turn the control knob prematurely, you'll
turn too early, at the wrong intersection.

29

Even using this approach, you will inadvertently
cause delays — delays which will seem instantaneous
to you but which are interminable to the PAC-MAN
computer. Fortunately, small delays can usually be
handled by the patterns described in this book. In moat
cases, you will know when you've delayed by the move-
ment of the monsters. I have included in the patterns,
when appropriate, some of the more common delays,
as well as advice on how to correct for them — if indeed
the delays are correctable.

Summary

All the information you need is here. All you must
do now is read each section and master the pattemCa)
in each before proceeding further. The earlier sections
(patterns PI, P2, P3 and PK) can be learned readily
and without the investment of many quarters. P4, P4-
Tunnel, and P5 require more time to learn, and thus
more quarters. But when you start racking up those
astronomical scores— and setting records in arcades
and cocktail lounges— you will feel that the effort was
well expended.

Now it's up to you. So read, study, practice— and go
set some records!!

30

5

NOTES ON PATTERN
PLAY AND PATTERN PI

Notes on Pattern Play

On the following pages are detailed schematics of
each of the patterns, drawn on miniature PAC-MAN
boards. In all cases, I have been as specific as possible
in diagramming the player's actions.

The schematics- have several notation codes, as fol-
lows:

"!" means the player should eat the energizers and
then eat blue monsters. The exact number of blue mon-
sters to be eaten is not designated because slight frac-
tion-of-a-second variations in the player's pattern will
alter the exact location of each monster. When the sym-
bol "!" is shown, the player should be able to eat two,
three, or sometimes even four monsters. Where the
path merely progresses through an energizer without
a "!," the player should either avoid eating monsters
and finish the pattern, or eat one blue monster if one
is nearby and can be safely eaten.

"H" means the player should hesitate or pause. In
all cases, the narrative will instruct the player how
long to hesitate.

"R" means "reverse." The player should proceed to
the point designated in the schematic and immediately
reverse direction. Reversals are also indicated (some-

31

times without explanation) as curlicues in the diagram
which look like this;

{} ^ <^

A, B, C.are points in the pattern to which the
narrative will refer. These are usually required when
a move is dependent upon the location of one or more
monsters at that point (which can vary with only min-
ute variations in the player's reaction time).

F designates the appearance of the fruit symbol on
the center channel of the board. The fruit should appear
at that point in the pattern and should be eaten by the
player.

In short:

= Eat energizer and monsters

= Hesitate

= Reverse

A,B,C...

= Points I'll explain

F

= Fruit appears

Conservative Improvisation

When there are only energizers surrounded by a few
dots remaining on the board, I will say "improvise con-
servatively" in the narrative. Please, please follow this
advice. When I say conservatively, I mean just eat the
energizer and dots and only the blue monsters that can
be eaten with total safety. Do not take any chances.

As I write this, I know many of you will tend to
ignore this advice. Please try to avoid the very strong
temptation to "eat one more monster." In many cases,
you will find the blue monster will revert to the original
color just as you try to eat him and you, in turn, will
be eaten. This Mdll be your primary reason for losing
men once you've mastered the pattern. And it is frus-

32

trating, because it's totally unnecessary. Remember,
when I say "improvise conservatively," the key is to
clear the hoard and go on to the next board. You will
score far, far more points from additional boards than
you will from attempting, unsafely, to eat up one or
two more monsters.

Necessity for ImpTovisation in
Patterns PI and P2

During patterns PI and P2 particularly, slight tim-
ing deviations can lead to variations in the movements
of the monsters. In PI, the player should be able to
adhere closely to Charts 1 to 3. When encountering
Chart 4, variations may result as the player tries to
eat more and more blue monsters after hitting each
energizer. Going for additional blue monsters is appro-
priate, if the player has acquired sufficient improvis-
ational skill to take evasive action. If not, the player
should adhere to the patterns shown, settling initially
for few blue monsters (but hopefully more boards).

In P2, Charts 1 through 4 should be adhered to;
Charts 5 and beyond will apply to most games in which
the player's timing is not delayed. Where variations
occur, rely on conservative improvisation. The fact that
improvisation is sometimes required in the latter parts
of PI and P2 is not critical, because during these two
patterns, the monsters move most slowly and are most
easy to evade. The more difficult boards handled by
patterns P3, PK, P4, and beyond are far more standard
and the player will be able to adhere more closely to
the patterns as diagrammed.

When clearing up energizers toward the end of PI
and P2, it may be necessary to take evasive action in
moving from one quadrant to the next. This evasive
action will be:

(1) a delay at the current quadrant until threaten-
ing monsters have left the next quadrant to be finished

33

(or the paths en route to the next quadrant).

(2) a trip through the tunnel to await more favorable
positioning of the monsters.

PATTERN PI

Pattern Pi is required only for the first (cherries)
board of the Slow Game. Those of you who play only
the Fast, New PUC-ONE® or MAZEMAN® Games can
ignore this pattern. I suspect that eventually the Slow
Game (and thus this pattern) will become extinct as
more and more technicians, to increase profits on PAC-
MAN, are instructed to convert the machines to the
Fast Game. ■■;

The concept behind Pattern PI is:

1. Clear most dots in the lower portion of the board
(quadrants 3 and 4).

2. Make a hasty run up the lefthand vertical chan-
nel of the board.

3. Clear a few dots in Quadrant 2, getting the mon-
sters to follow you.

4. Advance to Quadrant 1, eat El and three or four
blue monsters.

5. Clear the remaining dots in Quadrant 1.

6. Clear, the two "S" channels.

7. Finish up Quadrant 2, go south and finish Quad-
rant 4, and complete Quadrant 3.

Since the monsters move so slowly during the first
board of the Slow Game, you should have no trouble
mastering this pattern in several attempts. The trick-
iest part of PI comprises the moves in Chart 1. If you
delay in making these moves, your northward run up
the board in Chart 2 may be stopped by the pink mon-
ster. Try to make the Chart 1 moves fast, turning the
joystick before entering each intersection so PAC-MAN
turns immediately upon entering the intersection.
Since PAC-MAN, too, moves slowly during this board,

34

you should be able to master this skill after only several
attempts.

Point A in Chart 2. Be sure the monsters following
you pass point "x" on Chart 2 — as they go from left to
right. If they do, it is safe for you to turn left at Point
A and double back to Quadrant 1.

If your timing is too slow, monsters) may turn "up"
(north) at intersection "x." If they do, merely turn right
at Point A, eat E2 and blue monsters, and then proceed
to Quadrant 1. This, however, is only an emergency
measure. In properly learning PI, you should be able
to follow the pattern exactly as indicated on the charts.

After successfully finishing this pattern (and thus
the first board), you should have a score of from 6,000
to 7,000.

Point B in Chart 4 . Sometimes it may not be possible
to go through the right "S" channel en route to E2. If
so, traverse east through the center channel and then
go north to E2, picking up the dots in the "S" channel
after eating E2. The route plotted on Chart 4 will be
pwseible if the player is conservative in eating blue
monsters in Quadrant 1.

Point C in Chart 4. The correct route to eat E2 can
vary with minute changes in the player's timing. The
route depicted is most readily available. Sometimes
deviations may be required in approaching E2, such as
first clearing additional dots. The important point: be
conservative — get to eat E2, eat a few safe blue mon-
sters, and proceed to E4 and then to E3, as shown on
Chart 5.

Fine Point

As the player becomes more proficient at improvisa-
tion and more familiar with the layout of the paths of
the board, he will be able to eat more and more blue
monsters safely and take evasive action to avoid being
eaten. When this is the case, the best routes after eating

35

energizers will often be dictated by the position in
which the player finds PAC-MAN after eating the last
blue monster.

36

37

CHART 3

=□1.0

Ur

• » • * ■ «

[

■

1

38

CHART 4

39

CHART 5

40

6

PATTERN P2

Pattern P2 is designed for the first board of the Fast
Game and the second (strawberry) board of the Slow
Game. It is simple to learn because the monsters are
moving slowly during these boards. P2 is designed to
yield the player fairly high scores from these boards
since, if properly executed, all four blue monsters are
eaten after E4 is hit, giving the player 3,000 in bonus
points.

The P2 concept:

1. Clear out most of the lower portion of the board
and converge on E4 just before the monsters do.

2. Hit E4 and eat all four blue monsters.

3. Proceed north and eat the right "S" channel.

4. Proceed to Quadrant 3, clear all dots, and eat E3.

5. Proceed north to Quadrant 1, clear the quadrant,
eating El.

6. Clear the left "S" channel.

7. Finish up at Quadrant 2 and eat 2 and the seven
dots in Quadrant 4.

Notes on P2

Point B in Chart 3. With undelayed timing, all four
blue monsters should be eaten when Point B is reached.
Delayed movement will make it necessary to move to
the left and/or right of Point B to eat all the monsters.
That's OK — these moves won't throw off the timing of
P2.

41

Point A in Chart 2. Sometimes a very slight hesita-
tion is required to entice the monsters a little closer —
just prior to eating E4. This will help to ensure that
all four blue monsters may be eaten after E4 is hit.

PATTERN P2
CHART 1

=:;□•

• ■ * » • *

li

1 !

' n 1 nnl n •

J :| :i — 1 :

42

CHART 2

" 1 — i ;

1 u

■ * ■ ■ ■

• ■ ■ ■ •

1 ' U 1 1 ■

m

[

43

CHARTS

44

CHART 4

: czi;

il

1

n n

1 — 1 :
1

45

CHART 5

46

47

48

CHARTS

49

PATTERN P3

Pattern P3 is designed for the second (strawberry)
board of the Fast Game and the third and fourth boards
(1st and 2d oranges) of the Slow Game. P3 is the pattern
that players tend most consistently to finish perfectly.
There are few close calls throughout the pattern. The
player who has mastered P3 will find it fairly easy to
learn Pattern PK since many of the moves of P3 and
PK are identical. This is why we call P3 the "PK Straw-
berry" pattern.

Notes on P3

Point A in Chart 4. After eating El, reverse direc-
tion. If you follow the moves on Chart 4, you should be
able to eat all four blue monsters most of the time
(sometimes you'll eat only three as one monster heads
off to Quadrant 2). Note that P3 requires three reverses
here:

1. After eating El, reverse, going north.

2. At the first intersection, make a slight southward
movement to eat the second blue monster, who will
move south (with perfect timing this reverse isn't nec-
essary).

3. At the end of the channel, after eating the fourth
monster, reverse to the left to resume clearing out
Quadrant 1 (as shown in Chart 5).

With delayed timing, the fourth monster may escape
being eaten by entering either the center channel or

50

Quadrant 1. If this happens, eat only three monsters
(do not chase the fourth) and continue following the
pattern.

Point H in Chart 5. Hesitate at H until the orange
monster, coming across the center channel (from right
to left), passes point "x" and moves southward.

When cleaning up the board, hitting E3, E4, and
finally E2 (Charts 5 and 6), be conservative. Don't try
to eat blue monsters unsafely. Remember, your goal
now is to finish this board.

PATTERN P3
CHART 1

1 I-

•1 1

• • • ■ ■

; 1 1 .

* ■ • • ■

m

— ^1

51

CHART 2

52

CHARTS

53

54

CHARTS

55

56

8

PATTERN PK

When executed correctly, Pattern PK handles boards
3 through 11 of the Fast Game (through the 1st bell)
and 5 through 14 on the Slow Game (through the 2d
key) with no problem. PK can also clear boards 12, 13,
and 15 (the 2d bell and 1st and 3d keys) of the Fast
Game and boards 15, 16, and 18 (the 3d, 4th, and 6th
keys) of the Slow Game. If the player delays impercep-
tibly on the later boards, the pattern will break down.

PK can yield scores of 180,000 on the Slow Game
and 127,000 on the Fast Game if executed perfectly and
with some improvisation on the latter boards (partic-
ularly board 14— the 2d key— of the Fast Game and
board 17— the 5th key— of the Slow Game— when the
monsters do not turn blue).

This is the pattern with which I first became profi-
cient at PAC-MAN and it remains my favorite. Thus
it's called "PK"— yes, the "K" is for Ken. -

I recommend this pattern to:

• players who will be satisfied with the scores men-
tioned above and who want to spend only a few hours
learning a pattern, and

• players who have made a sincere attempt to learn
P4 but are having recurring problems in clearing en-
ergizers at the end of P4.

For readers who are interested in becoming PAC-
Masters, and who are willing to put in twenty hours
or more of practice, I recommend skipping this chapter
and studying patterns P4, P4-Tunnel, and P5.

57

Notes on PK

Point H in Chart 4. Hesitate at Point H until the
monsters are just on the other side of E3. Then hit E3
and eat as many blue monsters as you can (usually two
or three). During boards with short blue times, don't
chase the blue monsters; they will often turn color and
eat PAC-MAN.

Point H in Chart 5. Hesitate at Point H until the red
monster is just behind you. Then, after eating E4, you
may reverse to eat that monster. It's best to do this
only with boards with "very long" or "long" blue times.

Point H in ChaH 6. Hesitate at Point H until the
monster (usually the light-blue one) has left Quadrant
1. This is because, after you hit E2, you will proceed
to Quadrant 1— and if a monster is hanging around
there, he may eat PAC-MAN.

Notes on Boards 12, 13. and 15— the
Fast Game — the 2d bell and the 1st
and 3d keys (boards 15, 16, and 18 of
the Slow Game).

With even imperceptible delays, the player will run
into difficulty in two places:

• when moving southward in the far right channel
in Chart 3, the red monster can catch up to PAC-MAN.
To avoid this, forget about the two reverses just before
you enter the center channel to eat the fruit (Chart 3).
You can pick up these dots later.

• after eating the fruit in Chart 3, the light-blue
monster may come toward you in the center channel.
There's no evasive action you can take. Just watch your
delays when doing PK the next time.

58

Notes on Board 14 of the Fast Game
(Board 17 of the Slow Game)

Improvisation is required since the monsters don't
turn blue. Hover around the center channels and use
the tunnel in order to evade the monsters. The board
is still completable — largely because the monsters will
still run from you briefly after you've hit energizers,
even though they don't turn blue.

PATTERN PK

CHART 1

1 I-

•1 1

;□•

: 1=3:

■ ■ B • •

: ' — ' '■

t * » ■ *

1

m

59

60

61

CHART 4

62

63

CHARTS

64

9

PATTERN P4

("The Square")

Pattern P4 is called "The Square" because a large
square (actually rectangular) movement is made around
the board in the middle of the pattern. While P4 is a
bit more difficult to execute than PK, it handles more
boards than does PK and is necessary as a tool before
going on to learn P4-Tunnel and P5. 1 would advise the
potential PAC-Master to skip over the previous chapter
on PK, concentrate on learning P4, and then move on
to the following chapters on P4-Tunnel and P5.

P4 will take the player through the eighteenth board
of the Slow Game (the 6th key), except that it will not
handle the seventeenth board (the 5th key) in which
the monsters do not turn blue.

P4 will take the player through the fifteenth board
of the Fast Game (the 3d key), but will not handle the
fourteenth board (the 2d key) during which the mon-
sters do not turn blue.

The Concept Behind the Square Pattern

The square pattern starts out similEir to PK in that
the player goes to the righthand bottom portion of the
board. Instead of going through the left tunnel as in
PK, he goes through the two "S" channels, eats the
fruit, makes a large square around the board, hits two
comers in Quadrant 2, eats the fruit a second time, hits
two comers in Quadrant 1, and then finishes up eating
the energizers.

65

Notes on P4-c

Point A in Chart 2. Do not be alarmed if the pink
monster is following closely at this point— you will
outrun him if your timing is correct. Strangely, the
better your timing, the closer behind you the pink mon-
ster will be.

Point B in ChaH 4. Do not hesitate here. You may
suspect that you will hit the pink monster, but he will
turn into the left tunnel. Proceed immediately out of
the center channel and go north to the first quadrant.

Point C in Chart 5. You will sort of be playing ring-
around-the-rosie with the red monster in moat boards
here. That's fine—just hit El, eat a monster or two,
and proceed south to Quadrant 3.

Point D in Chart 5. Delay here until the monsters
are just on the other side of E3. Then hit E3 and eat
a blue monster or two.

As in other patterns, when clearing energizers, wait
before hitting a given energizer if there are monsters
in the quadrant to which you plan to proceed. This will
ensure that after you hit the energizer, the blue mon-
sters do not revert to their original color and threaten
you in the next quadrant.

With knowledge of only P4 (and the previous pat-
terns, excepting PK), you should be able to score well
into six figures. You are now ready to advance to the
PAC-Master level of play.

66

PATTERN P4 ('The Square")
CHART 1

67

CHART 3

69

CHART 4

70

CHARTS

71

\

10

PATTERN P4-TUNNEL

This pattern is so-named because, while it starts ex-
actly like Pattern P4, it ends with a variation which
requires use of the tunnel. This pattern applies to the
earlier boards in which the monsters do not turn blue —
namely the fourteenth board (2d key) of the Fast Game
and the seventeenth, nineteenth, and twentieth (5th,
7th and 8th keys) of the Slow Game.

Note that Charts 1 and 2 are identical to Pattern
P4. The variation begins in Chart 3, when the comer
in Quadrant 1 is eaten. Then the player progresses to
eat the fruit a second time and goes into the right tim-
nel (Chart 4). Coming out of the tunnel, the player eats
E3 (Chart 5), and then finishes up El. E2, and finally
E4 (Chart 6).

A somewhat safer alternative is for the player to
return to the left tunnel after eating E3 (in Chart 5).
After emerging from the other side, he may proceed to
E2 and then finish the board. This is safer because the
monsters fall behind PAC-MAN when entering the tun-
nel, particularly if the player gives PAC-MAN a re-
verse flick or two.

73

74

CKART2

-1 I*

1 1 •

rp-

fi

75

CHART 3

Point A: For the 7th and 8th keys of the ahow game
enter the center through a safe S channel, eat the fruit
and enter a safe tunnel. Then entering the tunnel before
approaching each quadrant is safest.

76

77

CHARTS

78

CHART 6

79

11

PATTERN P5
("The 9-Key Pattern")

Finally — the last pattern to learn! Pattern P5 will han-
dle all boards from 16 on in the Fast Game (the 4th
key) and from 21 on in the Slow Game (the 9th key).
This is why this pattern has been nicknamed "The 9-
Key Pattern." As in the P4-Tunnel boards, the mon-
sters do not turn blue.

When you have mastered this and the preceding pat-
terns, you should theoretically be able to play indefi-
nitely at a PAC-MAN machine. The only factors that
might interrupt your game are fatigue, errors, or, as
in Raymond's case, a desire to just quit in midgame
and go do something else.

Notes on P5

Point H in Chart 1. A brief pause, perhaps one-tenth
of a second. This pause is readily mastered because the
player has some leeway in its length.

Point H in Chart 3. Another slight pause. This pause
is not difficult to master because the pattern will not
break up with small variations in its duration.

Point A in Chart 3. An immediate reversal back
through the left "S" channel.

Point R in Chart 4. Flick PAC-MAN in reverse once
to slow the monsters down and entice them into the
tunnel.

Point R on Chart 5. Another quick reverse flick to
slow the monsters down and ensure that they follow
you into the tunnel.

80

PATTERN P6
CHART 1

81

CHART 2

82

CHART 3

: en:

' 1 if

ill

III

r ■

83

CHART 4

84

85

86

V

CHART?

?U 1

Zl . □ □

^ G

D

A 1 1

= Hlr

87

Li '

88

12

New PUC-ONE,
MAZEMAN,® AND
MS. PAC-MAN®

As of this writing, the New PUC-ONE game is avail-
able m a limited number of outlets and accounts for
perhaps 1 percent or less of the PAC-MAN type games
available. Although the game is undeniably more com-
plicated, there are several offsetting features that may
make New PUC-ONE scores as impressive as those
from the PAC-MAN game.

Characteristics of New PUC-ONE

AU of the characteristics of PAC-MAN described in
Chapter 2, "How PAC-MAN Works," apply to New
PUC-ONE, with two exceptions:

1. The player is awarded 20 points for each white
dot eaten and 80 points for each energizer eaten (versus
10 and 50 points, respectively, for the Standard game).

2. The value of each fruit eaten is higher than for
the Standard game, starting with 500 points for eaten
cherries (versus 100), 700 points for the strawberry
(versus 300), and 1,000 for eaten oranges (versus 500).

All of the characteristics of PAC-MAN covered in
Chapter 3 also apply to New PUC-ONE, with several
exceptions. There are still 240 dots (although the num-
ber of dots seems greater because of changes in the
configuration of the board), four energizers, and a sim-
ilar center board and "S" channels.

89

The New PUC-ONE board has several subtle changes
which in fact lead most people to believe not only that
are there more white dots, but that the board is larger.
In fact, the number of dots is identical and the New
PUC-ONE board has similar dimensions to the PAC-
MAN board.

A rendering of the New PUC-ONE board is shown
as Figure 4. Let's take a look at the basic differences
between the New PUC-ONE board and the PAC-MAN
board:

1. Note that there are four more tunnels. An upper
left tunnel has been created just below El. There is also
an upper right tunnel below E2, a lower left tunnel
below E3, and a lower right tunnel below E4. We will
continue to refer to the center tunnels as the left and
the right tunnels. The new tunnels provide both good
news and bad news to the player.

The good news is that there are four more escape
routes for the man when he is fleeing the pursuing
monsters.

The bad news is that the two upper channels are not
exactly in line with the paths leading to them. This
means that the player must make an annoying and
awkward one-dot turn either (1) when entering the tun-
nels from these paths, or (2) when exiting from the
tunnels into these paths. The need for this one-dot turn
can lead the neophyte player to be eaten by the pur-
suing monsters.

2. Note at Point A on Figure 4 that the divider has
been altered so that the upper horizontal path is no
longer a straight line as in the Standard game (see-
Figure 1, Chapter 3). Thus the player must now make
an awkward one-dot traverse when moving between
Quadrant 1 and Quadrant 2.

3. Note at Point B on Figure 4 that the dividers have
been altered so that the lower horizontal path is no
longer a straight line as in the Standard game (Figure
1, Chapter 3). The player must also make an awkward

90

Figure 4
New PUC-ONE® BOARD

Symbol designating Board >^

one-dot traverse when moving between Quadrant 3 and
Quadrant 4 along this path.

4. Note at Points CI and C2 on Figure 4 that the
standard dividers have been split into two dividers and
a dot has been placed one space below the level of the
horizontal path. This awkwardly placed dot requires
either a one-dot traverse to be eaten, or the movement

91

of the man along yet another path, thereby complicat-
ing the completion of the board.

5. Note at Points Dl and D2 on Figure 4 that dividers
have been placed to block direct access to the left and
right tunnels from the center channel. Thus access to
the tunnels (if, say, escaping monsters) or access to the
center channel (if, say, attempting to eat a fruit) is
made more difficult.

6. Note at Points Fl and F2 on Figure 4 that a dot
has been placed at the entrance to both the left and the
right tunnels. These dots, of course, must be eaten be-
fore the board can be completed. Vertical paths (with-
out dots) have been created above and below each of
these dots, which is a boon to the player, giving him
more flexibility of movement around the board.

Strategy

I have not done exhaustive research to develop pat-
terns for New PUC-ONE because I don't believe this
game will become as widely distributed as PAC-MAN.

For any readers who become New PUC-ONE addicts,
however, I would advise the following:

Read Chapter 15, particularly the section on how to
develop patterns. As mentioned, most of the charac-
teristics that apply to the PAC-MAN game also apply
to New PUC-ONE.

Note in the patterns described in the previous chap-
ters that it is best to clear as many dots as possible,
leaving the energizers for last. This goal is particularly
furthered when dots from one quadrant are cleared and
a long run is made up one of the long vertical paths to
another quadrant. This technique, utilized in nearly
all the PAC-MAN game patterns, is equally applicable
to the New PUC-ONE.

Figure 5 presents replicas of the New PUC-ONE
board for those interested in drawing patterns thereon.

92

Figure 5
New PUC-ONE® Schematics

CHART 1

J U:r7 — 7^
J U:n c— , D.

U L

r— 1 "1 1 ■ 1 r 1 1 ■

1 — 1 -

;p.;f|

CHART 2

MAZEMAN®

A second PAC-MAN-type game is entitled MAZK-
MAN. MAZEMAN is very similar to the New PUC-
ONE; yet there are key differences also.

Similaiities

1. The dot-path configuration is essentially the same
as in New PUC-ONE with minor variations as detailed
below.

2. Each dot eaten gives the player 10 points; each
energizer is 50 points.

3. When a,.monster is eaten, its eyes return to the
center box for "reincarnation."

Difierences

1. MAZEMAN is in the form of a little yellow frog.

2. The "dots" are actually little hearts.

3. The monsters, in the same four colors as in PAC-
MAN, are a different shape, narrow at the top and wide
at the bottom. They seem to have jowls and look like
"Richard Nixon monsters." They actually chew when
eating the frog.

4. The energizers, while located at the same places
in the board, are in the form of beer mugs (representing,
I guess, an oasis, in this case with beer instead of
water — and perhaps also suggesting a beer-guzzling
macho image for what are presumed to be primarily
male players).

5. The fourth eaten monster, instead of awarding the
player 800 points, is worth a healthy 5,000 points! This
featiu-e obviously puts a premium on taking more
chances while eating monsters to get to the fourth mon-
ster.

96

6. The board has four more tunnels than even the
New PUC-ONE. Thus, all told, there are ten tunnels.
The four extra tunnels are located at points A, B, C,
and D in Figure 6— the third dot south, four spaces—
of El and E2; and the second dot north of E3 and E4.

7. The fruit values are higher than in PAC-MAN.
For example, the first fruit, looking like a cross be-
tween a spaceship and a couple of rectangular boxes,
is worth 1,000 points. The second fruit, a watermelon!
is worth 2,000 points; the third and fourth fruits, a pair
of bananaa, are worth 3,000 points; the fifth and sixth,
apples, are worth 4,000 points, etc.

8. Last, but not least, there's a shelf on top of the
machine for the player's drink and a little slot on the
console to hold the player's spare quarters.

The experienced PAC-MAN player should have no
trouble with MAZEMAN after a few games. On my
second game I scored 50,000 points, largely just by im-
provising, and having a "feel" for where the monsters
tend to go— their movements are similar to those of
the PAC-MAN monsters. Better use can be made of the
ten tunnels to avoid being eaten. Further, the good
improviser should be able to maneuver well in order
to catch and eat the fourth, 5,000-point monster.

The machine is manufactured by "UCI 1981."

97

Figure 6
MAZEMAN® BOARD

1

!•□

1

u

D

D
D

: □

B

«

[

. D

□ :

n

98

MS. PAC-MAN®

Midway has come out with an imaginative sequel to
PAC-MAN, called MS. PAC-MAN, I would guess, to
appeal to the many women who became addicted to the
original game. While many of the features of MS. PAC-
MAN are identical to the first version, there are sig-
nificant differences which require revised playing
strategies.

Basic Objective

As in PAC-MAN, to eat dots and avoid monsters.
But the dots are laid out in several different mazes
rather than in a single configuration.

Scenario

The player is now represented by a female yellow
circle which gobbles dots just as rapaciously as PAC-
MAN. Our heroine has a little bow in her head, flir-
tatiously long eyelashes, and dark-red lipstick.

Both games have brief intermissions after several
boEuds have been completed successfully.

As in the Atlantic City pattern for boards 3 and 4
of the Manhattan chip use a variation of P4, entering
the right "S" tunnel first and then descending into the
left "S" tunnel.

The MS. PAC-MAN Interludes

These intermissions are real show biz — a director's
clapboard introduces each of them; they're labeled Act
I, Act n, and Act HI.

99

Act I: "They Meet." PAC-MAN and MS. PAC-MAN,
total strangers, are separately walking down the street,
pursued by their respective monsters. They approach
each other, the two monsters bump heads, and the two
PAC-persons continue on, aim in arm.

Act 11: "The Chase." MS. PAC-MAN wildly chases
PAC-MAN all over the screen, more frantically than
any monster ever did (and it's not even I^ap Year).

Act III: "Junior." First we see a large stork. Then
there's Mr. and (I presume) Mrs. PAC-MAN with Jun-
ior, a tiny yellow PAC-child.

Novice, Good, and Expert Scores

• Novices score around 1,000 to 3,000 points.

• Good players score less than at PAC-MAN (be-
cause patterns don't work), from 10,000 to 30,000
points.

• Experts can still get into 6 figures, from 100,000
to around 150,000 points.

Controls

Complexity rating: Low.

A single four-directional joystick.

Figure 7-1

Move

100

The Board

The configuration of the board changes every two
boards. Not only that, but the monsters move differ-
ently in a given board. For this reason, improvisational
ability is exceedingly important to rack up high scores
at this game.

The configuration of the first boards are shown in
the Strategies section,

Characteristics

SCORING

Each dot eaten:
Each energizer eaten:
Eating the 1st monster after

an energizer is hit:
Eating the 2nd monster:
Eating the 3rd monster:
Eating the 4th monster:

10 points
50 points
200 points

400 points
800 points
1.600 points

The points awarded for eating the symbol in succes-
sive boards varies from PAC-MAN, as follows:

Board no. Symbol Points

1 (£ Cherries 100

2 Strawberry 200

3 (j) Orange 500

4 ^ Pretzel 700

5 (J) Apple 1,000

(continued)

101

Board rio.

Symbol ' Points

6 Pear 2,000

7 ^ Banana 5,000

8 ? Random 100 to 5,000

In board 8 and beyond, any one of the seven symbols
may appear. The player receives points for eating the
symbol in accordance with the values for each symbol,
as shown above.

Most machines are set to award an extra man — uh,
I mean, woman — at 10,000 points.

How You Lose

When MS. PAC-MAN is eaten by one of the mon-
sters.

Facts You Should Know

During each board, the symbol appeara in various
locations and travels slowly around the board.

The board configurations change every two boards,
as follows:

Board

Board no. Symbols Configuration Tunnels

1 & 2 Cherries &
strawberry

Pink 4 tunnels,

two at the
top, two at
the bottom

102

Board

Board no.

Symbols

Configuration

Tunnels

Rr A

4 tunnela,

two at the

very top

row of the

board

K {I
O & D

-

Apple & pear

Orange

2 tunnels m

the center

7 & 8

Banana & ?

Blue #2

4 tunnels

The board configurations require different strate-
gies.

Strategies

Pink board. This board is the easiest of the config-
urations. Predetermined patterns can still not be.
worked out, because the monsters move in random
ways— a key difference from PAC-MAN. During the
pink board the player should concentrate on clearing
out the large square around the board (Figure 7-2). In
many of the pink boards, the player will be able to clear
the entire square, if he starts at the very beginning of
the board and moves in a counterclockwise direction.
On occasion, his path will be intercepted by a monster.
The player should take evasive action and, at the ear-
liest opportunity, return to the "square" and complete
clearing the dots.

The next order of business in the pink board is to
clear the channels at the bottom of the board. To the
extent possible, save the energizers for the end of the
board. The exception to this is when three or four mon-
sters are grouped together and MS. PAC-MAN is near

103

Figure 7-2
Pink Board

] U 11=]

] u

"Large Square

an energizer. Eat the energizer and as many monstera
as you can (safely) for lots of bonus points.

Blue board (Figure 7-3). This is the most difficult
of the boards to complete. Four tunnels appear, but two
are on the very top row of the board. This row is far
from readily accessible and cannot be used very fre-
quently as a safety valve — notice how the paths are
quite restricted at the top of the board. The player can
easily get caught in one of these restricted paths -and
be eaten by a monster meeting him from the other side.

For these reasons, the player should be defensive

104 .

Figure 7-3
Blue Board

when ascending to the top of the board. Be sure that
you have a clear path either to one of the two top en-
ergizers or to the tunnels. If you are pursued by mon-
sters as you're improvising, stay in the lower portion
of the board for your evasions. A high percentage of
players' men are eaten in the upper portion of the blue
board.

Orange board (Figure 7-4). The monsters move
quickly and turn blue for shorter periods during the
orange board. While the configuration of this board is
not as difficult as the previous one, there are only two

105

Figure 7-4
Orange Board

tunnels. The tunnels fortunately are centrally located
and provide an accessible escape hatch.

Because the movements of the monsters vary widely
in any given board, improvisational skill is essential
to high scores at MS. PAC-MAN. Remember that the
monsters may be outrun by using the tunnels and by
making a aeries of quick turns. Continually bear in
mind also that the monsters reverse directions when
you eat an energizer; you can sometimes make them
move where you want them to just as they turn blue,
for easy and frequent gobbling.

106

13

PORTABLE PAC-MAN®

Because of the spread of PAC-Mania, manufacturers
have come out with portable and home versions of PAC-
MAN.

Tomytronics. This game is a highly simplified PAC-
MAN game. The console, instead of having a joystick,
has four buttons, one for moving PAC-MAN in each of
four directions: right, left, up, and down.

Entex. This version offers the conventional PAC-
MAN game and allows the player to choose how many
monsters he wants to evade in his game. A second
player can also control the attacking monster. This
game was voted by Omni Magazine (December 1981)
as the third "best Christmas game."

Coleco. An ingenious game has been put together by
the engineers of Coleco, a toy manufacturer in Hart-
ford, Connecticut. Their neatly packaged portable rep-
lica of the arcade PAC-MAN game is available at toy
and other retail stores. The game is light, compact
(about 8" by 8" by 6"), and runs on four "C" batteries
(alkaline recommended).

The Coleco game has two joysticks (one for each of
two players) which operate in an identical fashion to
the arcade-game joysticks. In addition to conventional
PAC-MAN programs, Coleco has two PAC-MAN var-
iations: "Head-to-Head® PAC-MAN" and "Eat & Run®
PAC-MAN," both of which are described in this chap-
ter. The left joystick is also used to select the game
preferred by the player. Coleco also has a skill lever,
which pre-sets the games to one of two skill levels built

107

into the machine. The remainder of this chapter de-
scribes the three Coleco PAC-MAN games and how to
play them.

The Coleco
Portable PAC-MAN

Similanties to Arcade Game

The Coleco portable game adheres closely to the ar-
cade version of PAC-MAN;

1. The game allows the player three PAC-MEN.
They move in a manner similar to the arcade PAC-
MAN, that is, in any of four directions.

2. Dots are arranged in mazes. There are 64 dots,
rather than the 240 dots in the arcade game.

3. The machine has four energizers, which are in
the form of red dots, rather than blinking white dots.
After the energizers are eaten, the monsters become
subject to attack by PAC-MAN as in the arcade game.
Rather than turning blue, the monsters lose their "bod-
ies," but retain their eyes. When the monsters are in
blue mode, a different sound is generated by the ma-
chine (in most cases) so the player knows when it is
safe to attack the monsters.

4. After a period of time, the monsters revert to their
original aggressive mode, as their "bodies" return to
them.

5. The scoring is similar to that of the arcade game.
The player is awarded 10 points for each dot eaten and
50 points for each energizer. However, he receives only
100, 200, 400, and 800 points for each consecutive blue
monster eaten after an energizer hag been hit (half of
the arcade-game point values).

6. After a board is cleared, the game begins ane
and the player's task is to clear the next board.

108

Differences from the Arcade Game

1. There are no fruits in the portable game. Thus
each board offers the player the same number of po-
tential points.

2. The board configuration is different, not only in
terms of number of dots, but also in general layout (see
Figure 8). Thus the patterns presented in earlier chap-
ters do not apply to portable PAC-MAN.

3. There are two levels of skill, requiring different
approaches to the game.

How to Play Portable PAC-MAN,
Conventional Game

As in other electronic games, the longer a player
experiments, the more adroit he will become. Fortu-
nately, in portable PAC-MAN it is not necessary to put
quarters into the machine. Once the game is purchased,
all games are free, as long as the player has a supply
of batteries.

The skillful PAC-MAN arcade player will find his
skill is applicable to portable PAC-MAN. Although the
arcade patterns are not usable and in fact some of the
characteristics of portable PAC-MAN vary from the
arcade game, the arcade PAC-MAN player will find
that his ability, particularly at improvising, will help
him to excel in the portable game.

After experimenting with the portable PAC-MAN
prototype, I developed patterns that will get the player
through the first board of both skill levels on the first
game after the machine is turned on.

Skill Level 1

Figure 8 presents the three charts of the pattern to
complete the first board of the Skill Level 1 game. The

109

Figure 8

COLECO PORTABLE PAC-MAN®
—SKILL 1 PATTERN

CHART 1

no

in

CHARTS

112

concept behind this pattern is:

1. Chart 1— clear the outer rims of dots and the long
bottom line and eat energizer E3.

2. Chart 2— go around the center channels in a
clockwise direction.

3. Chart 3— Eat El, finish the top line and both "S"
channels, eat E2, eat E4, and clear the dots around the
bottom of the board.

As in the arcade game, it is important to make the
moves with the joystick in advance of reaching the in-
tersections, so that the delays in moving PAC-MAN
around the board are not caused by the player, but
rather are a function of the access time of the machine.

It is critical when executing Chart 1 that the player
not hold the joystick in the direction in which PAC-
MAN is moving. The player should merely tap the joy-
stick each time he changes direction and release the
joystick as PAC-MAN proceeds in the indicated direc-
tion. If the player holds the joystick in the turning
position, the pattern will break down. (The movement
of the monsters in portable PAC-MAN is affected by
whether the joystick is held in the turning position.)
It's all right to hold the joystick in the turning position
during the moves shown in Chart 2 and beyond.

If the player hesitates at Point A in Chart 3 for one
'Taeat," he should be able to eat one more blue monster
before completing the pattern. The player using this
pattern should score between 930 and 1,130 points on
the first board.

Skill Level 2 .

The player should follow the pattern in charts 1 and
2 of Figure 8 and then use charts 3a and 4a in Figure
9. Note that the only basic difference in the pattern is
that in Chart 3a, the player moves across the top of the
board (avoiding the "S" channels) and then eats the
dots in the "S" channels. In Chart 4a, the player pro-

113

Figure V

COLECO PORTABLE PAC-MAN®
—SKILL 2 PATTERN

CHART 3A

gresses east toward E2, eats E2, and completes the
board, as in the Skill Level 1 pattern. Note that in Skill
Level 2, too, if the player hesitates at Point A (Chart
4a), he should be able to eat one more blue monster,
yielding a higher score.

114

CHART 4A

115

Subsequent Boards

As in the arcade game, the velocity of the monsters
and of PAC-MAN speeds up in subsequent boards. This,
of course, affects the type of pattern that should be
used. I have found, however, that the patterns shown
in Figures 8 and 9 often work for advanced boards, but
sometimes they do not, depending upon the timing of
the player; as in the arcade game, delays which seem
infinitesimal to the player are nevertheless picked up
by the machine and can alter the movements of the
monsters.

Portable PAC-MAN is simpler than the arcade
game, primarily because of the fewer dots. Thus the
player, after experimentation, should be able to develop
his own patterns for the advanced boards. One tip is
to start with the moves depicted in charts 1 and 2 and
try alternative moves once the center channels are
cleared. After an hour or two of experimentation, the
player should be able to develop additional patterns to
cope with the advanced boards. As in the arcade game,
it is preferable to develop several patterns and alter-
nate them when playing competitively, so one's oppo-
nent will have more difficulty learning the patterns
and using them himself.

Head-to-Head® PAC-MAN

Head-to-Head PAC-MAN is an exciting competitive
game. Two players each control a PAC-MAN, each us-
ing one of the two joysticks on the console, and ma-
neuver their respective men through the board's maze
simultaneously. The goal is to eat as many dots, en-
ergizers, and blue monsters as possible in order to
amass a greater score than one's opponent. The display

116

indicates which player is ahead by printing a red arrow
on the side either of Player 1 or of Player 2. The amount
by which the winning player is ahead is indicated at
the top of the display. The two PAC-MEN can cross
each other's paths and indeed there are times when the
player may forget which PAC-MAN is his own.

Strategy

"Head-to-Head" lends itself to some interesting
strategies to outfox one's opponent.

1. The key factor in this game is keeping PAC-MAN
alive, that is, avoiding being eaten by the monsters.
This is because, if one player is eaten, the other player
can continue to play and to amass points as long as his
PAC-MAN remains uneaten— and this can continue
through successive boards. Thus the primary goal must
be: do not get eaten by the monsters.

2. If either PAC-MAN hits an energizer, the mon-
. sters revert to their blue state and are subject to being

eaten. Since^he blue-monster points are high relative
to the points awarded for eating dots, the player should
be continually aware of when an energizer is hit by the
opponent so he may move toward, and eat, blue mon-
sters. The risk here is that if the player becomes overly
preoccupied with the location of the opponent's PAC-
MAN, he may find himself inadvertently eaten by a
monster.

3. After an energizer is hit by either player, the
player should rush to eat as many blue monsters as
possible. As in the conventional game, however, if the
player becomes too greedy, the monsters may revert to
their aggressive status and eat PAC-MAN.

4. After an energizer is hit and the player observes
that his opponent is about to eat a blue monster, he
should consider delaying slightly before eating his own
blue monster(3). In this way, his opponent will get 100
points for eating the first blue monster, and the player

117

win get 200 (or more) points for eating subsequent blue
monsters.

Head-to-Head PAC-MAN is a fascinating game. The
competitive factor of trying to outwit a human oppo-
nent, I believe, makes the game particularly interest-
ing.

Eat & Run® PAC-MAN

Eat & Run PAC-MAN is an intriguing variation in
which the game begins with PAC-MAN in the center
box. The "door" to the box is opened and the player
leaves the box and moves about the board, eating en-
ergizers (there are no dots in this game), as the mon-
sters chase PAC-MAN. The player must avoid the mon-
sters and return safely to the center box, the door to
which opens at random intervals. If the player eats no
energizers, the door to the center box does not open.
Initially the player is awarded 100 points for the first
energizer eaten, 200 points for the second, 400 for the
third, and 800 for the final energizer. If the player does
not return safely to the center box, he gets no points,
regardless of the number of energizers eaten.

Strategy

The value of eaten energizers increases as the player
makes successful runs. As shown on the next page, the
player receives 200, 400, 800, and 1,600 points respec-
tively for the first through fourth energizers eaten,
after he has made four successful runs. The points
awarded increase further after eight successful runs,
twelve runs, and finally sixteen rims.

Because of this scoring pattern, the player should
try to make as many successful runs as possible so he
will be able to progress to the higher point values. Thus,
in the early stages of the game, it is to the player's

118

Figure 10

Eat & Run PAC-MAN®
Points Awarded After Energizere Are Eaten

First

Second

Third

Fourth

During first

4 runs

100

200

400

800

After 4 suc-

cessful runs

200

400

800

1,600

After 8 suc-

cessful runs

300

600

1,000

2,400

After 12 suc-

cessfal runs

400

800

1,600

3,200

After 16 suc-

cessful runs

500

1,000

2,000

4,000

benefit to eat just one energizer and return to the center
box, completing a successful run, rather than risking
the eating of additional energizers and being caught
' by the monsters.

With a few hours of experimentation, the player
should be able to develop patterns of movements, as in
the conventional PAC-MAN game, for each run. In the
earlier runs, the player is able to eat El, which is clos-
est to the door of the center box, and return safely. In
later runs, the safest energizer is not El, even though
a greater distance must be traveled.

119

14

IMPROVISING AT
PAC-MAN® AND
GENERAL TIPS

The ability to improvise at PAC-MAN is essential, even
to those with a knowledge of the patterns. This is be-
cause the player inevitably will make errors and will
need to play without a pattern to complete boards.

Escaping the Monsters

An important skill in improvising is to be able to
escape being eaten by the monsters. There are several
evasive actions that will help avoid being eaten:

]. Turning Comers

On a straightaway, some of the monsters travel
faster than PAC-MAN and thus will catch PAC-MAN.
However, PAC-MAN goes faster than the monsters on
turns. Thus if you are being pursued closely, make a
number of quick turns and you will stay ahead of the
pursuing monsters.

PAC-MAN also travels faster on a path without dots
than on a path with dots — as if eating dots requires
some of PAC-MAN's time. Thus when closely pursued,
PAC-MAN stands a better chance of outrunning the
monsters in paths without dots.

120

2. Using the Tunnels

You can also pick up speed on the monsters by going
through the tunnels. This is particularly true if you
make one or more reverse flicks as you enter the tunnel.
These flicks (a sort of fake aggression as you "pretend"
to go toward the monsters and then suddenly turn back)
will often either (1) make the monsters slow down, or,
particularly in the case of the light-blue and pink mon-
sters, (2) make the monsters back off and not enter the
tunnel in pursuit of you.

The orange monster often will back off and retreat
when located near the exit side of the tunnel. Thus if
you are being pursued through the tunnel and see the
orange monster near the exit, do not back into the tun-
nel again — and thus probably into the pursuing mon-
ster(s) — until you are sure that the orange monster
will not back off.

When being pursued by the red monster and consid-
ering entering a tunnel, make sure the light-blue and
pink monsters are not near the exit side of the tunnel.
These two monsters have a proclivity for entering the
tunnel on their own, thus sandwiching the player be-
tween them and the pursuing red monster.

3. Fakes

When being pureued, you can sometimes make a
quick turn toward the pursuing monster and cause it
to veer away — if there is a convenient intersection be-
tween you and the monster. This is particularly true
of the light-blue monster, who is aptly named "Bashful"
because of his tendency to back off when threatened by
PAC-MAN.

4. Dangerous and Safer Paths

The player is quite susceptible to being eaten in the
southernmost long horizontal channel and in the cor-
ners. This is because monsters can enter these areas

121

from more than one direction and surround PAC-MAN.
Try to avoid these areas when "on, the run."

The player is generally safest in the center channels
and in the two "S" channels above the center channel.
Note that the monsters will never enter the "S" chan-
nels at Point A in Figure 11 (unless they are blue and
therefore harmless). Thus a PAC-MAN "hiding" in the
"S" channels may never be attacked from the south —
only from the north. This is why the "S" channels are
excellent places to take a breather when in a tight jam.

The good improviser can lead the monsters around
the center channels and the "S" channels for minutes

Figure 11

PAC-MAN® Layout— Improvising Points

•1

I-

J:

i_

J:

• • » « •

* • ■ « •

;[

*

» m m r m

:r

■ « »

1^

■ • • • •
— i:

122

without being eaten — with an occasional escape into
the tunnels.

Other good resting places are at Bl and B2 in Figure
11. The monsters never enter these channels from the
south. Thus if you are being closely pursued below
Point Bl or B2, move northward into the channel and
you will find temporary safety.

Hustling PAC-MAN

The betting PAC-MAN player who is being observed
by a potential "mark" (though I am not encouraging
betting) would do well not to expose his knowledge of
patterns, and should play a "fairly good" improvisa-
tional game. The best times to improvise are during
the boards with long blue times (such as during the
early boards and the 1st pineapple of the Fast Game),
This is because, if the player gets in a jam, he can seek
out an energizer and will have a longer time to recover.

During a game in which bets are involved, the player
is advised to attempt to vary his pattern. This may
keep the other player from observing board after board
of your basic pattern and memorizing it for use against
you. The player might consider alternating between
the PK and P4 patterns during the middle boards.

Some time ago, the owner of a Las Vegas Strip casino
wouldn't let me play blackjack in his place as I usually
do. He did, however, bet me dinner for two in a contest
at a PAC-MAN machine there. Even though I beat him
by only a few thousand points, I couldn't get him to
play me for higher stakes after the first game. I must
have played too confidently.

Can PAC-MAN Be Beaten?

People watching me play often ask, "Are you beating
the machine?" The answer to this is "No" since, like

123

death and taxes, the end of the game muat inevitably
come. The exception to this rule might occur when, hke
my San Francisco friend Raymond, you amass such a
huge score that you walk away from the machine in
midgame out of sheer boredom or fatigue. That might
be considered a victory over PAC-MAN — that is, you
have played all you wanted for your quarter and choose
to do something else.

GENERAL TIPS

It's only an arcade game. Yet PAC-MAN seems to
require physical and psychological preparations— just
as the top chess masters often exercise before important
matches. Here are some tips that will help the player
perform better at PAC-MAN.

Concentration is highly important. When playing,
think only of your PAC-MAN game. Be aware in ad-
vance what moves the pattern will require. Do not be
distracted. Do not talk to others or check out the player
next to you. Many, many PAC-MAN players have told
me that they have been approached by someone with
a question, or just a greeting, only to be eaten almost
immediately thereafter. This has also happened to me
on many occasions.

I cannot play PAC-MAN well when tired, hung over,
or just not up for it.

The quality of the machine is important. All too
many machines have loose joysticks. Some have the
annoying habit of reversing directions without being
instructed to do so. Newer machines with clean screens
provide the best games.

When I play an important game, I bend both my
knees when playing. This seems to force me into greater
attention — it stops me from getting too relaxed.

It's really hard to play well when drinking. PAC-

124

MAN would make an excellent coordination test for
alleged drunk drivers. Some of my dreadful games have
occurred after I had downed four or five martinis.

The Last Resort

If you find that you are playing under less than ideal
conditions and are losing to players you feel you should
beat, there are a lot of really good excuses you can use.
I've heard many of these over and over again. Here are
a few to start with:

"The glare on this machine's impossible! You can't
even see the board!"

"This knob's too loose. There's no way to control the
game."

"I pushed the knob up and the damn PAC-MAN went
down. There must be a loose connection here." ^

"Please don't talk to me when I'm playing. See what
you made me do?"

"My shirt's too tight. The blood can't get to my
brain!"

"I was just experimenting — not playing for score.
Got an idea about a new pattern."

"Whatta hangover. Wish I had some oxygen."
"Did you see that lady who just walked in? Wow!"
"Who stepped on my foot?"
"My hand's sweaty. Lost the knob.**

With the knowledge of the patterns in this book, plus
use of the improvisational tips, the reader should be
able to join the ranks of the PAC-Masters — the very
best PAC-MAN players in the nation. Of course, as
more and more players become proficient, competition
will get tougher — but it's still early and there's plenty
of time to excel at the game.

Good luck to you!!!

125

15

DEVELOPING PATTERNS
FOR CHANGING CHIPS

Already the manufacturer is starting to take counter-
measures as players are becoming more and more
adroit at PAC-MAN. As I've mentioned, there are
games where the player is given only two men to play
with (San Francisco) or the player is awarded an extra
man after 15,000 rather than 10,000 points (several
arcades on the East Coast). There is also increasing use
of the Fast Game (nearly everywhere in California and
Oregon).

Worse yet for the players, the manufacturer has
come up with more serious countermeasures. The pro-
gramming of the machine has been changed to foil the
use of some of the existing patterns.

The PAC-MAN program is contained in a little mi-
croelectronic device called a "chip." The chip is tiny,
smaller than your fingertip, but the thousands of com-
puter instructions necessary to create a PAC-MAN
game are miniaturized in this simple chip. The man-
ufacturer has now come up with new chips in which
the patterns previously presented do not work. Most
readers will not be affected, however, since the vast
m^ority of PAC-MAN machines in this country utilize
the original chip.

In any case, for every countermeasure there's a
counter-countermeasure. Experimenting with one of
the new chips (I'll call it the Atlantic City Chip), I've
found that Pattern P2 works well for the first board.
The second board can be handled with a variation of
P4 (in Chart 1, before eating the fruit, eat the dots in

126

the "S" channels from right to left rather than left to
right).

For subsequent boards, there's a pattern (developed .
by Bob Squillace of Playboy) which is called the "Two-
Dot Pattern" because it leaves pairs of dots in various ■ .
.parts of the board. For interested Atlantic City players,
this pattern is shown in Figure 12. The pattern works
for the same boards as does PK on the original chip —
that is, for the third through the eleventh boards.

Notes on the Two-Dot Pattern

Point A in Chart 3. Hesitate slightly to make sure
that the red monster follows you into the right "S"
channel.

Point B in Chart 3. Sometimes the player will not
be able to go east to E2. When blocked, eat El and then
progress to E2 and continue as indicated on Chart 4.

Orange Boards. Be conservative in eating blue mon-
sters. The blue time is noticeably shorter with the new
chip.

The Manhattan Chip

I've spotted the use of another chip in numerous
locations. I'll call it the "Manhattan Chip" because it's
in several New York City arcades.

It can be identified, as is the case for all chips, by
watching the test pattern. PAC-MAN eats the ener-
gizer in E4, eats El, and is finally eaten by the blue
monster just above the center box. Here's how to beat
this chip;

Board 1. Start with pattern PI, but be prepared to
vary. You should have no trouble getting through this
board because the monsters move so slowly.

Board 2. A P2 start works. Aftei* you hit E4, you'll
eat two or three monsters. Then go to the northern part

127

of the board and improvise your way through this rel-
atively simple board.

Boards 3 and 4. As in the Atlantic City pattern, use
a variation of P4. When you get to the "S" channels
from the south, go up the right one first, and return
south to the center through the left "S" channel (see
P4, Chart 1). Then go down the right side of the center
and move westward to the lower left-hand comer of the
board. At that point, merely follow P4, which will take
you through these two boards without problem.

Board 5 (the first apple) through the third key. Use
P4 — it works just as well as in the conventional games.

If you encounter a chip with which you're unfamiliar,
improvise through the first two to four boards. Then
experiment with patterns you know.

P4 is more versatile than PK, that is, it can be used
for a variety of chips. How will you know when this P4
variation is required? You can tell almost automati-
cally. If PAC-MAN looks like he's going to be eaten in
the left "S" channel, or just after he emerges from the
left "S" channel (he's usually threatened by the red
monster coming across the top from right to left), go up
the right "S" channel — you have plenty of time to make
that decision.

A final note in pattern development: Note that there
are common sequences in the patterns in this book.
These sequences can often be inserted into new pat-
terns.

Some of the most commonly used sequences:

1. Go down to the lower left comer as all four mon-
sters follow. Then go north just to the right of center
(this is done in PK and P4).

2. Make a counterclockwise square around the board
(this is done in P4). It's an efficient and frequently
applicable approach to eating many dots in a short pe-
riod of time.

3. Eat the dots juat below the center channel as in

128

the sequence of pattern P4. This is often usable in early
boards of new chips.

The only machines I've seen that can't be beaten by
a pattern are the ones where the monsters move ran-
domly. For some reason, these chips are rarely en-
countered except in MS. PAC-MAN. I wonder if this is
an electronic hint that eventually women will rule the
world.

How to Develop Patterns
for New Chips

In the event that the manufacturer prepares addi-
tional chips in the future, the player can utilize coun-
termeasures of his own by learning how to develop pat-
terns. This section is devoted to the development of that
skill.

In the battle of players versus computers (or really
versus the programmers who tell the computers what
to do), we players have the edge. This is because the
computers must do what they are told to do. Even
though it may sometimes appear otherwise, computers
do not think for themselves. We players, on the other
hand, can experiment and vary our play as we see fit.

After studying the new PAC-MAN chip, it seems
safe to say that the basic characteristics of the game
will remain the same in any future chips that may be
developed. If this is true, we players will be able to
develop patterns for any chip we encounter. Let's ex-
amine some of the basic characteristics of the game.

J. The Monsters Have Personalities

Each of the four monsters behaves in a different, and
often predictable, way.

"Shadow," the red monster, is so named because he

129

generally follows PAC-MAN. While this is annoying,
the player can use this knowledge to advantage by pre-
dicting where Shadow will move. Further, PAC-MAN
can outrun Shadow every time, as long as he turns
enough comers. The faster monsters can beat PAC-
MAN on the straightaways, but PAC-MAN will stay
ahead of all four monsters if he turns often enough.

"Pokey," the orange monster, is a delight. Not only
is he slow, but he invariably seems to do the wrong
thing. When PAC-MAN heads for E3 from the south,
for example, Pokey, when following, will invariably go
right by, as if he just isn't capable of following well.

"Bashful," the light-blue monster, is also aptly
named. If PAC-MAN turns to make a threatening move
toward Bashful, Bashful will often run away, turning
into an intersection if one is available.

Bashful has one annoying habit. He tends to enter
the tunnel all by himself. When he does this, and you
have already entered the tunnel from the other end,
Bashful may get you there. The player must make sure
that Bashful is not entering the opposite end of the
tunnel (or is anywhere near the tunnel's entrance) be-
fore committing PAC-MAN to the tunnel.

"Speedy," the pink monster, is fast and can outnm
PAC-MAN (unless enough comers are turned). Speedy
likes to go through the left tunnel, a proclivity which
we can use to our advantage (as we do at Point B in
Chart 4 of Pattern P4).

2. The Monsters Have Corners

Each of the monsters has a "home" comer. Shadow
hangs out in Quadrant 2 — and he's always the first
one out of the center box at the beginning of each board.
Pokey runs toward Quadrant 3. Bashful, the second
monster out of the center box, goes to Quadrant 1, and
Speedy goes to Quadrant 4.

During each board, there are times when the mon-

130

sters are instructed to go to their comers. They atop
following PAC-MAN, appear to break up with a sudden
movement, and head to their respective comers. This
is a great opportunity to use a pattern where PAC-
MAN eats stray dots isolated from the protection of the
energizera — a time to do "clean-up work."

3. The Monsters Respond to Eneigizei Hits

Notice that when PAC-MAN hits an energizer, the
movement of the monsters changes. Sometimes PAC-
MAN can hover around an energizer waiting for ap-
proaching monsters, hit the energizer, and know ex-
actly what direction to go in order to eat the monster.

If the monsters are going through the tunnel, they
will reverse directions when an energizer is hit. One
good strategy to use when three monsters have just
entered, say, the left tunnel is to eat E3, move north
to the tunnel, and eat the three defenseless blue mon-
sters who are now returning, left to right, through the
tunnel.

4. Other Tips

When developing a pattern, remember that PAC-
MAN is most vulnerable in the long southernmost path
on the board and in the four comers (since he may be
attacked from different directions). These areas should
be avoided unless all monsters are a safe distance away
from PAC-MAN. Patterns should eat up the southern-
most path as soon as possible during each board, pref-
erably at the very beginning (as in P2 and the Two-Dot
Pattern). This is often possible because at the start of
each board the monsters come out of the center box one
by one, and PAC-MAN starts in the lower quadrants
of the board. Note that each monster usually goes to
his comer when leaving the center box, before engaging
in pursuit of PAC-MAN.

131

Try to get as many "long runs" in each pattern as
is possible. Notice, in the Two-Dot Pattern, how we first
make a long run across the southernmost path and then
a long run up the left side of the board. Later, we make
another long run up the right side of the board. All this
eats lots of dots, and the more dots that are eaten early
in the board, the safer PAC-MAN will be later in the
board.

Try to save the energizers for last — they're our
safety valves. Note how Pattern PK eats all the dots
except those immediately surrounding the four ener-
gizers. This is why PK is one of the safest patterns to
execute — it saves the '"best for last."

Above all, when developing patterns, don't get in-
timidated. Remember that no matter what chip is used,
those monsters will always move the same way in a
given board, as long as your timing is consistent. Note
that once you develop a pattern for the third board of
the Fast Game, this pattern should be usable for about
ten more boards. Thus against any chip, once that basic
pattern is designed, the player should be able to score
around 80,000 to 100,000. ,

Prediction

Someday, someone might be motivated to write a
computer program to construct patterns against any
chip that is used. Then the manufacturer might be in-
spired to design a chip that will alter monster behavior
once trends in the player's patterns are picked up. Then
the player-programmer could input this information in
turn and come up with continually changing patterns.

Although I must admit that all this is unlikely,
there's really no knowing where this battle between
the big companies and the players may lead. Sort of
reminds me of the blackjack battle.

Welcome to the electronic age!

132

Figure 12

THE TWO-DOT PATTERN
for the Atlantic City Chip

133

134

135

136

16

PAC-MAN® (ATARI®)

Evaluation

Players used to the eircade PAC-MAN game, who
expect the same level of graphics and other features,
will be disappointed with the home game. However,
taken on its own merits, this cartridge is fun to play
and, within the confines of limited computer memory,
the game designers have done a good job of making the
country's most popular video game available to millions
of homes in America (and elsewhere).

Number of Players 1 or 2

General Objective

1. To eat dashes (not dots) in a maze, avoiding pur-
suing ghosts (not monsters).

2. Also, to eat the ghosts when they're vulnerable
and, if convenient, to eat a high-valued symbol that
periodically appears on the board.

Scenario

You are PAC-MAN, a little yellow quasi-circle trav-
eling through a maze eating dashes in your path, pur-

137

sued by four ghosts. If any of the ghosts even touc
you, it's all over.

As in the arcade game, there are four energizers
(called power pills, although I'll stick to the term "en-
ergizers") in each comer of the board. If PAC-MAN hits
an energizer, the ghosts are rendered helpless and
PAC-MAN can "eat" them in turn, amassing points for
the player and making the ghosts disappear for a while.

If the player eats all the dashes on the board, he's
rewarded with another board, more difficult to com-
plete.

The Board

The board consists of 43 barriers that form mazelike
paths, in which are located 126 dashes. In the center
. of the board is a box, out of which emerge the four
ghosts. The four energizers are located in each of the
comers, and there are two exits to a tunnel, one on the
bottom of the board and one on the top, through which
either PAC-MAN or the ghosts may go.

Board Differences fiom the Arcade Game

1. The board layout is less varied. All the dividers
are either L-shaped (right-side up, upside-down, or
sideways) or bars. As a result, the board resembles a
series of rectangles with a bar in the middle.

2. The board is not as complicated. It has 126 dashes,
while the arcade version has almost twice as many
(240) dots.

3. In the arcade game, the tunnel entrances are at
the right and left side of the board, rather than at the
top or bottom, an insignificant difference.

138

§

CQ

Ob §

139

Controls

^ This is where arcade PAC-MAN players will be the
most disappointed. The player must use two hands to
play PAC-MAN at home — one to hold the joystick and
the other to maneuver it (in the arcade, only one hand
is needed because the joystick is mounted on the con-
sole).

It's virtually impossible to maneuver PAC-MAN at
home with arcade accuracy. Because PAC-MAN re-
quires extremely delicate timing and consistent and
accurate movement, the home game joystick is ex-
tremely frustrating. It's the rare player who will be
able to maneuver PAC-MAN through a series of boards
in exactly the same way, without losing time on the
turns.

For those of you who are really dedicated, there's a
solution. Construct a joystick holder (I wouldn't be sur- •
prised if some enterprising inventor comes out with f
this before long). I'd suggest buying a cheap, old, sturdy
table with a thick wooden top. Hammer four pieces of
wood into a square into which your joystick base will
fit. Pack it tight with foam rubber (even rags will do).
Now the joystick is immobilized and can be operated
with far greater accuracy (not only for PAC-MAN, but
for other games).

To make the joystick really tight, pour in some epo^
around the edges of the joystick, filling in the tiny gaps
between it and the side of the square in the table. The
only risk is if your joystick breaks; it's a real pain to
remove it from your homemade PAC-MAN console and
replace it with another one (and they do break ojice in
a while).

To the truly dedicated PAC-MAN player, however,

140

this is a small price to pay to avoid inaccurately exe-
cuted patterns and "blown" boards.

Facts You Should Know

Patterns

The fact of greatest interest to many of you is
whether patterns which consistently clear boards can
be developed for home PAC-MAN. There's good news
and bad news:

1. The good news — definitely so. In fact, Fve in-
cluded a pattern in the next section as well as a "board
starter" to get you going on developing your own pat-
terns for the home variations.

2. The bad news — to work the patterns consistently,
it's necessary to devote considerable time to stabilizing
the joystick. You might consider going through the car-
pentry nimiber I described earlier. I've tried lots of
things, such as placing the joystick between my legs
for support, stabilizing it under both my feet, and even,
would you believe, cradling it between my toes. If you
come up with an alternative that works for you, let me
know (Box 8080, Walnut Creek, CA 94596).

Differences from the Arcade Game

There are a number of differences. Some are trivial
and others have a significant effect on strategy.

1. PAC-MAN looks less healthy and less friendly.
He's a pale yellow fellow. His mouth, instead of being
a smiling wedge, more closely resembles an intimidat-
ing rectangular gap.

2. PAC-MAN only looks where he's going when he's
moving to the left or right. When moving vertically, he
travels sideways.

141

3. When PAC-MAN gobbles dots, a sound resem-
bling the low note on an electronic piano is played'
When PAC-MAN eats a ghost, a popping sound, not
unlike the old pong-game noise, is generated.

4. The ghosts are all the same whitish color. Because
ghosts flash sequentially, it looks like they're jumping
back and forth from one location to another on the
board, which is quite confusing.

5. When PAC-MAN eats an energizer, the ghosts
turn a pale blue, as do the uneaten energizers, and are
difficult to distinguish because the background of the
board is also blue. When the ghosts are vulnerable, a
high-pitched harplike sound is generated (it reminds
me of the sound effects in the heaven scenes in old
movies). When the ghosts are eaten, their eyes return
to the center box for reincarnation, but there's no in-
dication on the board of points awarded, as in the arcade
game.

6. The game has a health orientation. The energiz-
ers are called "power pills" and the sjrmbol in the center
of the board (called a "fruit" by most arcadians) is re-
ferred to £18 a "vitamin."

The vitamin is always the same shape, a pink rec-
tangle with a smaller white rectangle inside it. It's
always worth the same bonus, 100 points; fruits in the
arcade game award bonuses varying from 100 to 5,000
points.

7. The game has more difficult features, both defen-
sively and offensively: PAC-MAN meets his demise if
merely brushed by a ghost; in the arcade game, close
calls are tolerated. PAC-MAN must totally engulf a
dash to ensure that it's eaten. Notice how PAC-MAN's
mouth is the same shape as a dash. There are times
when the player will think he's eaten a dash, partic-
ularly when reversing directions, only to find that
PAC-MAN's mouth was open when the dash was en-
countered, and the dash was not actually touched and
remained on the board.

142

8. The player is given more men. Each player starts
with four men (versus three in most arcade games) and
is awarded an extra man with each board completed
(versus only one extra man, usually at 10,000 points
in the arcades).

Game Variations

The cartridge basically contains one PAC-MAN
game — the board always has the same configuration
and the overall rules do not vary. However, PAC-MAN
may be set to move either at a slow or fast speed, and
the ghosts may move in one of four speeds. This, in
combination, gives the player eight game settings, as
follows:

Game #

Speed of PAC-MAN

Speed of Ghosts

1

Slow

Jogging

2

Slow

Running

3

Fast

Crawling

4

Fast

Walking

5

Fast

Jogging

6

Fast

Running

7

Slow

Crawling

8

Slow

Walking

The ghosts move very slowly and are easily avoided
in games #3 and #7, which are recommended for chil-
dren and novices. Each of these games may be played
with either one player or two players.

The skill level for each of the eight games may be
set at easy (switch "a") or difficult (switch "b"). In the
more difficult "a" games, the ghosts remain in their
blue state for shorter periods, and the vitamins don't
remain on the board as long.

143

Scoring

The minimum number of points per board is 146
points, 126 points for eating the dashea and 20 points
for the four energizera.

The maximum per board is 1,546 points, a goal rarely
achieved because it requires eating all four ghosts four
times, Eifter each energizer is hit, and eating the vi-
tamin twice (sometimes the vitamin appears twice per
board; sometimes once). As in the arcade game, the
bonus for eating the third and fourth ghost after an
energizer is hit is quite high, relative to the overall
scoring of the game.

Point values in about all cases are equal to one tenth
of those in arcade games, as follows:

Points Awarded
Home Game Arcade Gam£

Eating a dash (dot)
Eating an energizer
Eating the 1st ghost
(monster) after an
energizer is hit
Eating the 2nd ghost
Eating the 3rd ghost
Eating the 4th ghost
Eating the vitamin
(symbol)

1 10

5 50

20 200

40 400

80 800

160 1,600

100 100 to 5,000

To give you an idea of how well you're doing, use
the following guide:

144

Home Game Arcade Game

Novice
Average
Good
Expert

100 to 300

700 to 1,200
3,000 to 7,000
10,000 to 70,000

1,000 to 3,000
7,000 to 12,000
30,000 to 70,000
100,000 to 700,000

There is great variation in the difficulty of the home
game, depending upon the game selected and the dif-
ficulty level setting. The above home game scores are
applicable for game #1, which seems to be more com-
parable to the average arcade game (arcade game speed
settings also vary).

The Grip Assuming you don't build the PAC-table
I referred to earlier, here are some tips on how to hold
the joystick.

If you're right-handed, you'll probably find it easiest
to hold the joystick firmly with your left hand wrapped
firmly around the base of the joystick. There are two
alternative ways to grasp the stick itself with the right
hand that seem to work best:

1. Hold the stick at its base with the thumb, index,
and middle fingers.

2. Hold the stick lightly at the very top, with the
tips of the thumb, index finger, and middle finger. I
find this grip gives the best control, especially while
negotiating a series of turns in rapid succession.

Strategies

Beginning Stiaiegy

145

Familiarization with the Game

If you're a novice, start with game #3. Initially, you
should become familiar with:

1. The joystick, so that you can move it instinctively
in each of the four directions.

2. The board. After a dozen games or so, you will
become quite familiar with the layout of the board. You
will know almost subconsciously the locations of the
tunnel entrances, the energizers, and the entrance and
exit paths to the various rectangles.

Playing the Game

The arcade strategy of starting at the bottom of the
board doesn't work here. This is because in the arcade
game, several monsters head north at the start of every
board, regardless of the movement of PAC-MAN. In
the home game, the ghosts vary their paths far more
noticeably, depending upon the movement of PAC-
MAN.

The energizers are safety valves, for use when PAC-
MAN is jeopardized by closely pursuing ghosts. Try to
clear as many dashes as possible before hitting ener-
gizers. But don't risk getting eaten to do this. If you're
in a tight jam, head for an energizer and eat a ghost
or two.

As soon as the harplike sound stops, forget about
chasing ghosts. They've become aggressors once again.

Use the tunnels to evade closely pursuing ghosts. On
many occasions, you will find the ghosts do NOT follow
you through the tunnel, giving you plenty of breathing
time to eat more dashes. Obviously, check out the other
side of the tunnel before entering it to make sure you
won't be trapped when emerging on the other side.

1^

Your ultimate goal (although you won't achieve it
with regularity unless you're very proficient) ia to get
to the point where all that's left on the board are en-
ergizers and surrounding dashes. Then all you must do
is head for each energizer in turn and eat it, the nearby
dashes, and a ghost or two, as they turn helplessly blue.
Try for the vitamin — 100 points is an important bo-
nus — but don't jeopardize PAC-MAN to do so.

If you're able to clear the first board, you will get a
score of at least 146 points, and more likely you'll rack
up 300 to 400 points, depending on how many ghosts
you gobbled up.

Advanced Strategy

Home Game Pattern for Gam£ #1 As I mentioned
before, patterns can be developed for home PAC-MAN.
To give you an idea of how the home patterns work,
Exhibit 1 contains the pattern for getting through the
first board of game #1.

147

Even with knowledge of this pattern, you will not
find it easy getting through the board because of the
controls, which do not permit tight, accurate turning.
Wrong turns, delays, and other errors will inevitably
creep- into your play. For this reason, it's essential for
the home game PAC-MAN player to stabilize the joy-
stick.

Begin moving PAC-MAN immediately at the start
of the game. Don't lose even a fraction of a second,
which is challenging in and of itself, since to start the
game you must take one of your hands off the joystick
to press the reset button on the console.

When PAC-MAN starts moving, anticipate each
turn in the pattern. Since the computer works in hun-
dredths of a second (or less), and we work in tenths of
a second (or more), delays which we won't perceive will
alter the movement of the ghosts. You must anticipate
each turn and move the joystick in that direction before
PAC-MAN reaches the intersection. This will ensure
that PAC-MAN makes the turns instantaneously. Be
careful though — if you anticipate prematurely, PAC-
MAN may turn too early — blowing the pattern.

Developing Your Own Patterns

In experimenting with PAC-MAN patterns in the
home game, you have two large advantages:

1. You're not putting quarters into the machine, so
your experimentation isn't costing you anything.

2. After losing a man, you can reset the board back
to the beginning. Just hit the reset button on the con-
sole. Forget about the other men until you've got the
pattern down correctly.

It's not hard to develop your own patterns. As you
experiment:

— try to use long runs, which clear many dashes
quickly.

152

—try to leave the energizers alone as long as pos-
sible.

— to the extent possible, avoid a quick series of tight
turns, because the controls make these maneuvers far
more susceptible to operator error.

— use the tunnels frequently to get away from the
ghosts and to get breathing time to eat more dashes.

To assist you in developing patterns, I've included
the beginning of another pattern (Exhibit 2), which can
be used to construct patterns for several of the home
game variations. You'll find that between the patterns
in Exhibit 1 and 2, you may begin clearing each of the
eight boards, as outlined in Exhibit 3.

Now you've got a start. The rest is up to you!

153

12:
o

□

I

154

155

Exhibit 3

Game Start of Pattern

Variation

1 Pattern in Exhibit 1 works all the way
through, if executed with no delays, for
skill level 'lb."

For level "a," Exhibit 1, Chart 1, works.

2 Exhibit 2, Charts 1 and 2.

3 The easiest variation and thus one
where experimentation should begin for
the novice.

Exhibit 1, Chart 1, works through point
A. When point A is reached, head south
as far as possible and then west, going
south through the bottom tunnel.

4 Exhibit 1, Chart 1, through point A.
Then go south and west and through the
lower tunnel.

5 Exhibit 1, Chart 1, works all the way
through, with no timing delays.

6 Exhibit 2, Charts 1 and 2.

7 Exhibit 2, Chart 1.

8 Exhibit 1, Chart 1, through point A.
Then go south and west and through the
lower tunnel.

Note: The pattern charts apply equally to either skill
level for game variations 2 through 8. Skill level set-
tings affect only the length of blue ghost time. The
pattern in Exhibit 1 does not work for game #1, in level
"a," because the ghosts return to their aggressive states
earlier.

156

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ken Uston is widely known as the foremost blackjack player
in the world. He has been featured on 60 Minutes (February
and May 1981), the Today show, Good Morning, America,
The Tom Snyder Show, The Mike Douglas Show, That's My
Line, and To Tell the Truth. Feature articles about him have
been included in The New York Times Magazine (cover story),
Time, Newsweek, Sports Illustrated, People, Money, US and
countless other periodicals.

Ken is no stranger to teaching methods. He has written
five books, including the recently published Score: Beating
the Top 16 Video Games (for arcade players) and is hard at
work on a sixth called How to Buy and Beat the Home Video
Games (for home video enthusiasts). Mastering? AC -MAN,®
has been listed on The New York Times Best Seller list. His
best-selling book on blackjack, Million Dollar Blackjack, has
been acclaimed as "the most complete book ever written on
the game of blackjack" {Boardwalker Magazine). His first
book, an autobiography entitled The Big Player, is being
made into a major motion picture.

■ Ken is a Phi Beta Kappa Bachelor of Arts in Economics
from Yale University and an MBA From Harvard University,
and has been teaching blackjack around the world for the
past five years. He has been Senior Vice-President of the
Pacific Stock Exchange, Director of Operations Research for
the Southern New England Telephone Company, and a con-
sultant for Cresap, McCormick and Paget, and has also
taught several courses in Business Management at Quinni-
piac College in Hamden, Connecticut.

As Ken puts it, "Mathematical and logic challenges of all
kinds have always been of interest to me, whether it's com-
puter programming, probability analyses, bridge, blackjack,
PAC-MAN or the other video games."

157

HERE'S A VIDEO MANIACS DREAM

SCORE!
BEAnNGTHETOP
as VIDEO GAMES

KffxIUSIDN

The unique, fully illustrated playing guide that reveals
the "enemy's" most treasured secrets and shows you
how to beat your favorite machine at its own game.
You'll find important tips on everything from pre-play
to final scores.

PAC-MAN GALAGA ASTEROIDS

MS, PAC-MAN STARGATE DONKEY KONG

DEFENDER QIX SCRAMBLE

TEMPEST FROGGER STAR CASTLE

CENTIPEDE MAKE TRAX SPACE INVADERS

GALAXIAN

THESE VIDEO GAMES ARE ALLTRADEMARKS OF THEIR RESPECTIVE MANUFACTURERS

This book has been neither authorized nor endorsed by any of the man-
ufacturing companies listed above.

Buy them at your local bookstore or use this convenient coupon for

ordering.

THE NEW/ AMERICAN LIBRARY, INC.

P.O. Box 999, Bergenfield, New Jersey 07621

Please send me ^ paperback copies of SCORE! BEATING THE TOP

16 VIDEO GAMES (=f/KE 1813 — $2.50). I am enclosing $ .

(Please add $1.00 to this order to cover postage and handling). Send
check or money order — no cash or C.O.O.'s. Prices and numbers are
subject to change without notice.

Name. ... „ .

Address

City State Zip Code

Altow 4-6 weeks for delivery.

This offer subject to withdrawal without notice.

KEN USTON'S NEWSLETTER ON

VIDEO GAMES

KEEP UP-TO-DATE ON NEW GAMES,
NEW DEVELOPMENTS, NEW HIGH SCORES,
AND NEW PLAYING TIPS
WITH KEN USTON.

Get this fact-packed fun-to-read monthly newsletter
and keep in top scoring position on Home Video
Games and Arcade Games.

DESCRiPTIONS and RATINGS of new
HOME VIDEO CARTRIDGES

The NEW GAMES that are most fun to play—
they're coming out in droves!

TIPS on how to extend your playing time and
rack up high scores.
READERS' VIEWS, tips, and secrets about
the games.

ACT TODAY and take advantage of the special
introductory charter member rate of $9.95 for

one year's subscription to
KEN USTON'S NEWSLETTER ON VIDEO GAMES.

Please allow at least 8 weeks for delivery.
Offer subject to change or withdrawal wittiout notice.

Send your order tO:

The New ftmerican Ubrary

P.O. Box 999

Bergenfield, NJ 07621

Make check or money order payable tO:

The New American Library, Inc.

Name„
Address_
City

-State.

2ip Code.

SIGNET JUMBLE Word Game Books by

Henri Arnold and Bob Lee

□ JUMBLE— That Scrambled Word Gama #1 (#Y8186— $1,25)

□ JUMBLE— That Scrambled Word Game #2 (#AE1226— $1 75)
n JUMBLE— That Scrambled Word Game #3 (#Y8728-$1.25)
D JUMBLE— That Scrambled Word Game #4 (#Y8377— $1.25)
n JUMBLE— That Scrambled Word Game #5 (#Y8376— $1.25)

□ JUMBLE— That Scrambled Word Game #6 (#Y8379— $1.25)

□ JUMBLE— That Scrambled Word Game #7 (#AE1232— $1.75)
D JUMBLE— That Scrambled Word Game #8 (#Y8785~$1.25)

□ JUMBLE— That Scrambled Word Game #9 (#Y8484~$1.25)

□ JUMBLE—That Scrambled Word Game #10 {#Y8730— $1 25)

□ JUMBLE—That Scrambled Word Game #11

(#AW 1588— $1.50)
n JUMBLE—That Scrambled Word Game #12

(#AE1226~$1.75)

U JUMBLE—That Scrambled Word Game #13

(#W9831— $1.50)

n JUMBLE—That Scrambled Word Game #14

{#Y89ia-$I,25)*

□ JUMBLE—That Scrambled Word Game #15

(#AW1322-$1,50)*

□ JUMBLE—That Scrambled Word Game #16

(#AW1331-$1.75)

□ JUMBLE—That Scrambled Word Game #17

(#AE1333-$1.75)*

□ JUMBLE—That Scrambled Word Game #18

{#E9740-$1.75)

□ JUMBLE—That Scrambled Word Game #19

{#£9907-$1.75)*

□ JUMBLE—That Scrambled Word Game #20

(#AE1122-$1.75)*

•price slightly higher in Canada

Buy them at your local bookstore ot use ttiit convenient coupon for onJerlns.
THE NEW AMERtCAN UBRARY, INC.,
P.O. Box 993, Bargeirfield. New Jersey 07621

Please send me the books I have checked above. ! am enclosing $

(please add $1.00 to this order to cover postage and handling). Send check
Of money order— no cash or C.O.D.'s, Prices and numbers are subiect to change
without notice.

Name

Add ress

City State Zip Code

Allow 4-6 weeks for delivery.
This offer is sutiject to withdrawal without notice.

THE MONSTERS WILL EAT YOU IF
YOU DON'T WATCH OUT!

But if you know just when and where to
run, you can turn the tables on the terrible
foursome and catch yourself a feast of blue
meanies for big points. And here's the
guide, written by expert game player Ken
Uston. that can show you the tricks and
techniques to help you keep PAC-MAN®
running and scoring through board after
board of perils and pitfalls. Ail it takes is
some practice with the game- winning pat-
terns, and soon you'll be ducking, dodg-
ing, eating, and scoring with the best of
them as you learn all about —

MASTERING

PACMAir

KEN USTON is recognized as the foremost black-
jack player in the world. He has appeared numer-
ous times on national television, has been written
up in The New York Times Magazine, Time, News-
week, People, and countless other periodicals, and
the story of his life is currently being made into a
major motion picture. Ken has a B.A. in Economics
from Yale (Phi Beta Kappa), an M.B.A. from Har-
vard, and has taught blackjack around the world.
And, as he himself puts it, "Mathematical and logic
challenges of all kinds have always been oi inter-
est to me, whether it's computer programming,
probability analyses, bridge, blacl^ack, or PAC-
MAN."

BE A CHAMP AT THAT A-MAZING GAME—

PAC-MAN"

Across the nation, at game arcades, in restaurants,
bars, and casinos, PAC-MAN is becoming the
number-one playing attraction, as he whizzes through

his complex maze hotly pursued by four ravenous
monsters. How can PAC-MAIS conquer his enemies and

earn big scores for you, his human ally? All it takes
is a little practice and the help of game pro Ken Gston's
expert guide that tells you everything you need to
know to become a true Pac-Master:

THE BASIC MOrSSTER-BEATING PATTERNS

STRATEGIES FOR T HE SLOW GAME

SPECIAL TIPS FOR THE FAST GAME

PLAYIM G NEW PUC-ONE'^

IMPROVISING AND CREATING

YOGR OWN P ATTERNS

HGSTUNG

PORTABLE PAC-MAN

HEAD- TO-HEAD PAC-MAN

EAT-AND-RUN^

MAZEMAN"'

AND OTHER TECHNIQUES FOR
RGNNING OP TOP SCORES
BESTSELLIMG AUTHOR KEM OSTOM IS ALSO THE CREATOR OF

SCORE! BEATING THE TOP 16 VIDEO GAMES,

AVAILABLE IN A SIGMET EDITION.

11899

71162"00250
ISBN □-M51-llfi'^=^-S